Ukrainian State Border Service updates border crossing statistics

MOSCOW. March 3 (Interfax) - The number of border crossings in Ukraine increased by 2.1% to around 435,000 between February 22 and 28, 2025 compared with the previous week, owing to a larger number of departures, Ukrainian media reported with reference to the State Border Service's social media post.

The number of people who departed Ukraine in this period increased to 225,000 from 214,000, while the number of those who crossed into the country decreased to 210,000 from 212,000 week on week, it said.

The number of vehicles crossing the border increased to 117,000 from 115,000 the week before, while the number of vehicles carrying humanitarian aid cleared to cross the border declined to 553 from 561.

As of 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 2, around 15 vehicles were queueing to cross out of Ukraine at the Uzhgorod crossing on the border with Slovakia and five vehicles each at the Ustilug crossing on the border with Poland and the Tisa crossing on the border with Hungary.

The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) estimated the net outflow of people from Ukraine in 2024 at 0.5 million in its January inflation report, while the State Border Service's estimate is 0.315 million people. In absolute figures, the number of Ukrainians staying abroad grew to 6.8 million in 2024. The NBU also left its net outflow forecast for 2025 at 0.2 million people.

According to the United Nations Refugee Agency's reports updated on February 19, 2025, the number of Ukrainian refugees around the world was estimated at 6.907 million, or 43,000 more than on January 16, 2025, including 6.346 million in European countries outside of Ukraine.

Inside Ukraine, according to the UN's latest data, there are around 3.665 million internally displaced persons (IDPs).