Chernivtsi Oblast - Population and Demographics

Population and Demographics

Largest settlements in the region
City Population
1 Chernivtsi 240,621
2 Storozhynets 14,693
3 Khotyn 11,216
4 Novodnistrovsk 10,342
5 Sokyriany 10,258

According to the latest Ukrainian Census (2001), Ukrainians represent about 75% (689.1 thousands) of the population of Chernivtsi Oblast. 12.5% (114.6 thousands) reported themselves as Romanians, 7.3% (67.2 thousand) as Moldovans, and 4.1% (37.9 thousands) as Russians. The other nationalities, such as Poles, Belarusians, and Jews sum up to 1.2%.

The separate categories for the Moldovans and Romanians as two ethnicities has been criticized by Romanian organizations in Ukraine. However, all census respondents had to write in their ethnicity (no predetermined set of choices existed), and could respond or not to any particular census question, or not answer any questions at all. Also, no allegation of counting fraud were brought up. However, Interregional Union, one of Romanian communities in Ukraine criticized what they see as the continuous usage of Romanians and Moldovans as two separate ethnic groups.

According to the Romanian census of 1930, the territory of the future Chernivtsi Oblast had 805,642 inhabitants in that year, out of which 47.6% were Ukrainians, and 28.2% were Romanians. The rest of the population was 88,772 Jews, 46,946 Russians (among them an important community of Lipovans), around 35,000 Germans, 10,000 Poles, and 10,000 Hungarians.

During the inter-war period, Cernăuţi County had a population of 306,975, of which 136,380 were Ukrainians, and 78,589 were Romanians. Storojineţ County had 77,382 Ukrainians and 57,595 Romanians. (The three other counties of Bukovina, which remained in Romania, had a total of 22,368 Ukrainians). The northern part of the Hotin County had approximately 70% Ukrainians and 25% Romanians. Herţa region, smaller by area and population, was virtually 100% Romanian.

Major demographic changes occurred during the Second World War. Immediate after the Soviet takeover of the region in 1940 the Soviet government deported or killed about 41,000 Romanians (see Fântâna Albă massacre), while at the same time further encouraging an influx of Ukrainians from the Ukrainian SSR. Most Poles were deported by the Soviet authorities, while most Germans forcibly returned to Germany. After the Kingdom of Romania took control of the region during the war (1941–1944), the Jewish community of the area was largely destroyed by the deportations to ghettos and concentration camps.

The languages of the population closely reflect the ethnic composition with over 90% within each of the major ethnic groups declaring their national language as the mother tongue.

National Structure of Chernivtsi Oblast (2001 Census)
Raions/Cities Total Ukrainians Russians Romanians(Moldovans) Other
Hertsa Raion 32,316 1,616 299 30,310(756) 91
Hlyboka Raion 72,676 34,025 877 37,348(4,425) 426
Kelmentsi Raion 48,468 47,261 607 503(477) 98
Khotyn Raion 72,398 66,060 927 5,161(5,102) 250
Kitsman Raion 72,884 71,805 674 204(88) 201
Novoselytsia Raion 87,461 29,703 1,235 56,233(50,329) 290
Putyla Raion 25,352 25,182 98 39(20) 33
Sokyriany Raion 48,889 43,927 3,044 1,724(1,681) 194
Storozhynets Raion 95,295 56,786 1,367 35,402(307) 1,740
Vyzhnytsia Raion 59,993 58,924 631 254(58) 184
Zastavna Raion 56,261 55,733 335 93(55) 100
city of Chernivtsi 236,691 189,021 26,733 14,382(3,829) 6,555
city of Novodnistrovsk 10,344 9,013 1,054 128(98) 149
Total 919,028 689,056 37,881 181,780(67,225) 10,311

Read more about this topic:  Chernivtsi Oblast

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