Ukraine demographer: Only 30% of refugees to return

Ella Libanova, Director of the Institute of Demography and Social Research of Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences, has revised her forecast for the return of Ukrainian refugees after the war. She now predicts no more than 30% of those who left will return, a significant drop from her 2022 prediction of 50%. Libanova cites the reality that millions have settled abroad over four years, finding jobs, enrolling children in schools, and establishing new lives. Meanwhile, the ongoing destruction in Ukraine, with daily losses of homes and jobs, further diminishes the incentive to return.