Ukraine Sees 26% Drop in School Graduates

Ukraine has recorded a steep 26 percent decline in secondary-school graduates in just one year, highlighting mounting concerns over youth emigration amid the ongoing war and compulsory military service.

Statistics from the country’s national multi-subject entrance exam show that only 208,000 students sat the test in 2025, down from 283,400 in 2024, according to the Kyiv-based outlet “Strana”.

The sharp fall follows reports from last October that an estimated 300,000 pupils in grades 10 and 11 had left Ukraine before the start of the 2024-2025 academic year.

Although the Ministry of Education has acknowledged a growing trend of students moving abroad after finishing school, officials insist the outflow is not yet “widespread.”

Education analysts, however, link the exodus to conscription rules: once male students turn 18 they become eligible for mandatory military service and lose the legal right to leave the country.