The State Statistics Service does not publish updated population data due to security risks during the war, explained former head of the agency Arsen Makarchuk. At the same time, such information is needed for infrastructure planning, business operations, and interaction with international partners.

He said this in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine, published on November 12. The day before, the government accepted his resignation.

According to Makarchuk, the decision not to disclose the data for now is because it could help the adversary assess defense and mobilization potential, vulnerabilities of infrastructure and social sphere, and be used in information operations.

The figure of 41.17 million people, which can be found in open statistics, does not describe the current population of Ukraine. On the page of State Statistics Service main indicators, 41,167,335 people are listed — an estimate of the present population as of January 1, 2022. It cannot be used as an answer to the question of the number of residents in November 2026.

A practical example concerns mobile communications. Makarchuk talked about discussing with operators licensing requirements for covering settlements with a population over 2000 people. When settlement patterns change, the question arises: as of which date to determine the number of residents? This is about what data to use when planning coverage.

There is also a financial dimension. According to Makarchuk, population size affects per capita indicators and may matter for participation in certain international aid projects and determination of contributions to international organizations.

He called publishing the total population without regional breakdown a possible compromise. This is a proposal, not an announced decision with a set date for data disclosure.

At the same time, the absence of an open updated figure does not mean that social and demographic statistics have completely stopped. The State Statistics Service reported on October 1 the first results of the resumed household budget survey. The interviews were conducted in December 2025 – February 2026. The results describe household composition, housing conditions, and availability of basic amenities.

The agency explains that such information is needed to assess people's needs and develop social and housing programs. However, the survey had territorial limitations: it did not cover Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson regions, Crimea and Sevastopol, as well as other temporarily occupied territories and active combat zones. Its results cannot be considered a census of the whole country.

For an entrepreneur, the practical takeaway is to check the date, methodology, and territorial coverage of a demographic figure before assessing the market of buyers or the availability of workers. The pre-war population estimate, registration data, and the sample survey results describe different things and do not replace each other.

Based on materials: Interview with Arsen Makarchuk by Interfax-Ukraine, State Statistics Service main indicators, report on the household survey.