In the face of unprecedented Russian military aggression, Ukrainians are more united than ever in their desire for democracy, with a historic high 95 percent supporting Ukraine becoming a fully functioning democracy - an opinion shared equally across regions. In that same vein, respondents identified freedom of speech, equal justice for all, and free and fair elections as the three most important characteristics of a fully functioning democracy. The level of optimism remains strong: 86 percent are optimistic about the future, and the reasons for their optimism are inspiring, including Ukraine’s victory, its people and their strength.

The full-scale war has an impact on every Ukrainian, with many people reporting income reduction, deterioration of mental and physical health, separation and loss of friends and family, and loss of jobs and homes. Although the war has taken a significant toll on people’s lives and financial conditions, nearly all Ukrainians are contributing to the humanitarian and war effort. Eighty-one percent of respondents have donated money to the Armed Forces, even though ninety-five percent have reported that they don’t have enough income to live comfortably. Additionally, sixty-three percent have donated supplies to internally displaced persons (IDPs), sixty percent have donated money for humanitarian relief, and a majority have hosted or assisted IDPs. It is clear to see the level of commitment that everyday Ukrainians have for their compatriots, their communities, and their country.

Ukrainians trust the Armed Forces almost unanimously - at the level of 95 percent, and 81 percent of Ukrainians trust President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Ukrainians show strong and united support for integration into the EU and NATO: 92 percent want Ukraine to join the EU, and 79 percent want Ukraine to join NATO. These views extend across all of Ukraine, south and east included, regional variations in support for Ukraine joining the EU or NATO, which were seen in previous polls, have virtually disappeared.

Ukrainian support for European/Western values and democracy is not rhetorical, nor is it merely convenient, given Ukraine’s need for Western support. It is real and meaningful. Seventy two percent of Ukrainians want to see a better balance between men and women in political life. Polling shows historic shifts in the number of people supporting equal rights for homosexual people.

Ukrainians do not see their territory as a collection of bargaining chips. Rather they overwhelmingly indicate that they are fighting and sacrificing to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. This is the only outcome of the war that is deemed acceptable.

The survey was designed and deployed by the National Democratic Institute in Ukraine. The fieldwork was conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology during August 2 - 9, 2022, via computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) method with 2,510 completed interviews. The survey is representative only of the adult population currently residing in Ukraine who use mobile phones with Ukrainian numbers. Areas that were outside the control of the Ukrainian government before February 24, 2022, were excluded. The average margin of error for the national sample is +/- 2.2%. The research is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Sweden and Global Affairs Canada.

You can read the report (in Ukrainian) by following this link.

You can read the report (in English) by following this link.