Kiev International Institute of Sociology conducted survey during the period of February 8–20, 2013, in 110 locations in all regions of Ukraine and Crimea. 2032 respondents were interviewed; sample was random and representative for the population of Ukraine aged 18 years and older.

Statistical sampling error (with a probability of 0.95 and a design-effect of 1.5) would not exceed:
3.3% for index close to 50%
2.8% — index close to 25%
2.0% — index close to 10%
1.4% — index close to 5%.

Among others there was a question: "If we talk about life in general, for people like you, was living in Ukraine better 3-4 years ago or now?"

The answers to this question show that:

• The vast majority of the population of Ukraine — 82% — believes their living became worse (almost 43%) or did not change significantly (to 39%) over the last 3–4 years, and only 18% of respondents state their lives became better;
• These estimates are statistically distributed similarly among men and women of Ukraine, among its citizens and peasants;
• There is slightly bigger number of those, whose lives became better over last 3–4 years in the Eastern (20%) and Southern (23%) regions; this number is a little less among residents of the West (14%) and Central (16%) region;
• But even the Southern and Eastern regions have significantly more (33% and 39%) of those whose life was better 3–4 years ago; and the biggest part of such people lives in the Central and Western regions (48% and 51%);
• The number of those, whose life became better over the last 3–4 years, is significantly bigger among youth aged 18–29 years (26%) and is the least — in the range 14–16% — among older people;
• But regarding youth, number of those whose lives were better over 3–4 years ago is somewhat higher (30%) than of those, whose lives became better; the biggest part of such people — in the range 46–48% — among people aged 30 to 69 years;
• There is a significant prevalence of those whose lives became better over the last 3–4 years among people with higher education (23%); among people with incomplete secondary education this number constitutes 12%; the biggest number of such people are found among both with complete and incomplete secondary education — 46% and 48%, respectively.

Appendix

Below you can see tables with distribution of answersto the following question:

If we talk about life in general, for people like you, was living in Ukraine better 3–4 years ago or now?

 

By sex:

	Ukraine in general	Men	Women
It was better 3–4 years ago	42.5	43.1	42.0
It is better today	18.1	17.1	18.9
Difficult to say	39.4	39.8	39.1
TOTAL	100	100	100

 

By age:

	18–29	30–39	40–49	50–59	60–69	70 +
It was better 3-4 years ago	30.5	45.9	46.2	48.0	46.4	43.0
It is better today	26.3	16.3	16.4	14.2	16.3	15.2
Difficult to say	43.1	37.7	37.4	37.7	37.3	41.8
TOTAL	100	100	100	100	100	100

 

By level of education:

	Level of education
	Incomplete Secondary	Complete Secondary	Incomplete Higher	Higher
It was better 3–4 years ago	47.5	45.6	38.1	43.3
It is better today	12.4	15.5	18.7	22.7
Difficult to say	40.1	38.9	43.3	34.0
TOTAL	100	100	100	100

 

By city and village population:

	City	Village
It was better 3–4 years ago	42.3	42.7
It is better today	17.5	18.4
Difficult to say	40.2	39.0
TOTAL	100	100

 

By regions:

	Macroregions
	West	Central	South	East
It was better 3–4 years ago	50.6	47.7	33.3	38.7
It is better today	13.7	16.1	22.7	19.6
Difficult to say	35.7	36.2	44.1	41.7
TOTAL	100	100	100	100