Section
Understanding Society
The institutions, economy and social trends behind the news.
-
Ukraine’s Presidential Elections: Seven Held, Five Went to a Runoff. 1991 to 2019
Independent Ukraine held seven presidential elections between 1991 and 2019. Only in 1991 and 2014 was the outcome decided in the first round; in 2004, the Supreme Court ordered the runoff to be rerun. This article sets out a timeline based on Central Election Commission figures, the constitutional provisions on the term of office, the two-consecutive-term limit, and early elections, and the legal basis for why no election has been held under martial law.
-
Ukraine’s Official Population Estimate Has Been Frozen at January 1, 2022
The State Statistics Service of Ukraine's population estimate remains, at its most recent, the 41.17 million figure for January 1, 2022, before the full-scale invasion. Population figures since then come from sources with different scopes and different ways of counting — UN estimates and projections, and institute estimates cited in government strategy documents. A July 2024 estimate cited in a government document gives 31.1 million; a UN projection gives 39.68 million. This article explains why the figures differ so much, starting from their definitions.
-
UNITED24 Has Raised $3.9 Billion, Over 90% of It Going to a Defense Account
UNITED24, the Ukrainian government's donation platform, shows it has raised about $3.93 billion between May 2022 and September 18, 2026. The money goes into one of six accounts at the National Bank of Ukraine by category, spent by the responsible ministry. This article looks at the Cabinet resolution behind it, the disclosure mechanism, and the inflow and spending figures in the reports.
-
From Single-Member Districts to Proportional and Back to Mixed: Verkhovna Rada Elections, 1990–2019
The way Ukraine's 450-seat Verkhovna Rada is elected changed three times across nine elections between 1990 and 2019: single-member districts, a mix of party lists and districts, a purely proportional list system, and back to a mix. The electoral threshold moved between 4%, 3%, and 5%, and turnout fell from 70.78% to 49.24%. This article builds a timeline from the text of the electoral laws and the protocols of the Central Election Commission.
-
A Timeline of Ukraine’s Independence and Russia’s Aggression, 1991–2026
From the declaration of independence on August 24, 1991, to the extension of martial law that began on August 2, 2026. This timeline covers events whose dates are recorded in UN General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, the records of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, and Ukrainian presidential decrees and laws. It does not cover the course of the fighting. Legal assessments are given together with the body that made them.