The press release was prepared by Volodymyr Paniotto, President of KIIS
and Anton Grushetskyi, Executive Director of KIIS

From November 26 to December 29, 2025, the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) conducted its own all-Ukrainian public opinion survey "Omnibus", to which, on its own initiative,  added monitoring questions about self-assessment of happiness and experience of stressful situations. By the method of telephone interviews (computer-assistedtelephoneinterviews, CATI) based on a random sample of mobile phone numbers (with random generation of phone numbers and subsequent statistical weighting) in all regions of Ukraine (the territory controlled by the Government of Ukraine), 1,001 respondents were surveyed. The survey was conducted with adult (aged 18 and older) citizens of Ukraine who, at the time of the survey, lived in the territory of Ukraine controlled by the Government of Ukraine. The sample did not include residents of territories temporarily not controlled by the Ukrainian authorities (at the same time, some of the respondents are IDPs who moved from the occupied territories), and the survey was not conducted with citizens who left abroad after February 24, 2022.

Formally, under normal circumstances, the statistical error of such a sample (with a probability of 0.95 and taking into account the design effect of 1.3) did not exceed 4.1% for indicators close to 50%, 3.5% for indicators close to 25%, 2.5% for indicators close to 10%, 1.8% for indicators close to 5%.

Under conditions of war, in addition to the specified formal error, a certain systematic deviation is added. Factors that may affect the quality of results in "wartime" conditions were previously cited by KIIS.

In general, we believe that the obtained results are still highly representative and allow a fairly reliable analysis of the public moods of the population.

Since 2000, KIIS has regularly asked its own monitoring question about the experience of stressful situations during the year (the first experience was in 1996), and since 2001 - about self-assessment of happiness. Below in the press release we consider the results of our latest survey on these issues, which we conducted at the end of 2025.

Main results:

• In 2025, only 14% of the population of Ukraine did not experience any stressful situation (the same number was in 2024), and 80% of Ukrainians experienced at least one stressful situation;
• 36% of the population experienced bombings and shelling during 2025. This is followed by situations such as separation from loved ones (21%) and death of loved ones (20%);
• At the same time, at the end of 2025, 69% of Ukrainians considered themselves happy.

KIIS has been including questions about stressful situations in our research from time to time since 1996, when we conducted a study of the income and expenses of the population of Ukraine commissioned by the World Bank. The list of stressful situations, presumably at that time, corresponded to World Bank studies conducted in other countries. Over time, the list had to be modified, in particular, since 2014 (taking into account the Russian aggression in Crimea and Donbas) shelling and bombing were added. It should be noted that KIIS has also conducted research using other lists of stressful situations. For example, in a study for the National Democratic Institute (NDI), we asked what from the list Ukrainians faced after a full-scale invasion[1].

Graph 1 shows the most common stressful situations experienced by Ukrainians as of December 2025. The data shows that a significant portion of the population continues to face serious life challenges related to both the war and personal circumstances.

The most common stress remains bombings and shelling, which were experienced by 36% of respondents. A significant share of Ukrainians also faced long-term separation from loved ones (21%) and loss of loved ones (20%), reflecting the profound social consequences of the war.

Health-related stresses also remain significant: 13% have experienced their own serious illness or surgery, another 9% have experienced a serious illness of a loved one. In addition, 15% of respondents felt helpless, and 11% noted that they had encountered a loss of trust in people or manifestations of meanness.

Economic hardships also remain an important factor: 10% of respondents lost their jobs and were forced to become unemployed, and 7% found themselves without a means of livelihood.

At the same time only 14% of respondents indicated that they did not experience any stressful situations. Another 6% could not decide on an answer.

Overall, the results show that even in the fourth year of full-scale war, Ukrainians continue to experience various types of stress on a massive scale, with the combination of military, social, and personal factors forming a complex picture of everyday experience. At the same time, the presence of a significant share of those who do not report stress may indicate both psychological adaptation and different sensitivity to stressful events.

Graph 1. Stressful situations faced by Ukrainians in 2025

Graph 2 illustrates the dynamics of the share of respondents who did not experience any stressful situations, as well as the share of those who lost their jobs or found themselves without a means of livelihood in 2013-2025 (and the Appendix also provides data for 2000, 2005 and 2010). As can be seen from the graph, in the first years of the analyzed period, the share of those who did not experience any stressful situations was relatively high and fluctuated within 34-49% in 2013-2019. After 2020, against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, this indicator decreased significantly - to 32% in 2020 and 29% in 2021.

A sharp deterioration in the situation occurred after the start of a full-scale war: in 2022, the share of those who did not experience any stressful situations decreased to 13%, and in 2023 – to 8%, that is, more than 90% of the population faced various types of stress. In 2024, the indicator remained at a very low level (10%), and in 2025 it increased slightly to 14%, which may indicate a certain adaptation of the population to the prolonged conditions of war.

Graph 2. Percentage of respondents who did not experience any stressful situations and percentage of those who lost their jobs or found themselves without means of livelihood, dynamics during 2013-2025

The second (orange) line of the graph represents the share of respondents who lost their jobs or found themselves without a means of livelihood. In 2013-2019, this indicator was relatively stable and fluctuated within 9-14%, with a slight downward trend on the eve of the pandemic (to 9% in 2019).

After 2020, there has been an increase in economic stress: in 2020 – 16%, in 2021 – 15%, reflecting the impact of the pandemic on the labor market. However the sharpest increase occurred after the start of a full-scale war: in 2022 this indicator increased to 24%, and in 2023 it remained very high (23%). In the following years, a gradual decrease in economic difficulties is visible, people adapted and found work: in 2024 - 19%, and in 2025 - 14%, which brings the indicator closer to the pre-war level.

Thus, both lines together demonstrate an interconnected dynamic: on the one hand, a sharp increase in the overall level of stress after 2022, and on the other, a significant increase in economic difficulties. At the same time, in 2024-2025, signs of partial stabilization appear: the share of those who do not experience stress increases slightly, and economic stresses gradually decrease.

Table D1 in the appendix contains the dynamics of each type of stressful situation that Ukrainians experienced during 2013-2025. In particular, the share of those who survived bombings and shelling has increased rapidly since the beginning of the war: from 2% in 2020 to 36-39% in 2023-2025. The experience of the death of loved ones has been increasing over the years, reaching a peak in 2023 (27%) and 2024 (26%, the difference with 2023 is statistically insignificant). Then, in 2025, the indicator decreased slightly. The share of respondents who lost their jobs or were left without a means of livelihood gradually increased since 2019, reaching a maximum in 2022-2023. Then, by 2025, the indicator decreased slightly, which may indicate a certain adaptation of the population.

For over 20 years, KIIS has been asking Ukrainians the question “Do you consider yourself a happy person?” Respondents are offered five answers (as in the graph below). Graph 3 shows the answers to this question in December 2025.

Graph 3. Do you consider yourself a happy person?

%, December 2025

The survey results show that despite the war and difficult circumstances, most Ukrainians feel happy. 69% of respondents consider themselves happy: 37% answered “yes”, and another 32% – “rather yes than no”. Another 12% of respondents answered “both yes and no,” indicating some ambiguity or fluctuation in their perception of their own happiness. At the same time, 16% of respondents indicated that they were unhappy or rather unhappy (8% answered “rather no than yes,” another 8% — “no”). Another 3% of respondents could not decide on an answer.

Thereby, the share of Ukrainians who feel happy is more than four times higher than the share of those who feel unhappy. This indicates a high level of resilience and psychological adaptation of Ukrainian society, which, even in extremely difficult conditions of war, retains a sense of meaning in life, hope and inner optimism.

Indicator 4 shows the dynamics of the percentage of people who consider themselves happy. As can be seen from the data, Ukraine has gone through a difficult path, and the level of happiness in society has changed significantly over the past two decades. The share of those who consider themselves happy increased from 38% in 2001 to 65% in 2010. One possible reason for such a significant increase could be the economic boom in Ukraine in the 2000s, which lasted from 2002 until the global economic crisis of 2008. At the same time, economic factors cannot fully explain these fluctuations: in particular, the economic difficulties after the 2008 crisis did not lead to a drop in the level of happiness - on the contrary, in 2010 it reached one of the highest values for the entire observation period.

We also asked questions about happiness in December 2021, two months before the full-scale Russian invasion, and then in September 2022, after it began. In 2023 and 2024, this question was asked twice a year to more accurately track the dynamics of public moods during the war. In December 2021, on the eve of the invasion, 71% of Ukrainians considered themselves happy, while 15% did not. By December 2023, despite almost two years of full-scale war, the level of happiness remained close to pre-war levels.

In the third year of the war, in 2024, the indicator decreased significantly - from 69% to 58%, which actually returned Ukraine to the level typical of the period 2012-2017.

At the same time, in December 2025, there is a noticeable recovery in the level of happiness: the share of those who consider themselves happy has increased to 69%. The increase in the level of happiness in 2025 may be due to several factors. First, society is gradually adapting to the prolonged conditions of war. Second, after a noticeable decline in 2024, there is a certain “rebound” of the indicator. Expectations for the future may also play an important role - in particular, discussions about possible political scenarios for the end of the war and the role of international support. At the same time, the data do not allow to link the change in the level of happiness to any one specific event.

Graph 4. Do you consider yourself a happy person? 2001-2024

% of those who consider themselves happy

If to consider the dynamics of the number of happy, unhappy, and those who cannot decide and consider themselves partly happy and partly not during a full-scale war (Graph 5), we see that the level of happiness did not decrease with the beginning of the war (the reasons for this paradoxical fact are provided in the comments to the press release, see below). And the decrease in the number of happy people during 2025 occurred not due to an increase in the number of unhappy people (there were 16% of them, about the same as before the war), but due to an increase in the number of those who could not decide (from 18% to 26%). Similarly, in December 2025, the percentage of happy people increased not due to the number of unhappy people (their number is 16%, and it has not changed over the year), but due to a decrease in the number of those who were undecided.  

Graph 5. Dynamics of self- assessment of happiness during 2021-2025 (detailed by groups)

Volodymyr Paniotto's comment on the prevalence of stressful situations among Ukrainians:

The stressful situations that we study are specific circumstances or events that can (or may not) cause stress. I do not want to confuse the reader with terminology, but there are also stressors (these are specific aspects of a stressful situation, specific factors that cause stress). In addition, stress can be positive and mobilize a person, or it can be negative and cause physical or psychological exhaustion, depression. To study stress, you need to use not one question, but a whole block of questions. Of course, the more stressful situations, the higher the level of distress. But the fact that 80% of the population of Ukraine experienced one or another stressful situation in 2025 does not mean that all of them have distress. Thus, the website of the Institute of Sociology of the NAS of Ukraine has published an analytical material by Doctor of Social Sciences Serhii Dembitskyi “Media Stressors and the Psychological Well-Being of the Population of Ukraine”, prepared for the National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting[2].  This report was about the level of distress of the population of Ukraine (the express test "SCL-9-NR" was used to record it). In October 2023, 69% of respondents demonstrated a normal level of psychological distress, 21% - increased, and 10% - high. In 2023, according to our data, approximately 90% of the population experienced stressful situations, and only 31%, i.e. a third of them, had increased or high distress.

Our data shows that indeed, since 2022, the lives of Ukrainians have been associated with continuous stressful situations, but for four years now they have continued to fight and overcome difficulties. The majority of the population is ready to endure the war as long as necessary[3]. Other KIIS studies show that Ukrainians are fully aware that war is existential and peace under any conditions is unacceptable. The majority of respondents are not ready for territorial concessions[4]. A high level of experiencing stressful situations does not mean that Ukrainians are ready to give up, but still, despite all the difficulties, they demonstrate the will to continue the fight.

Volodymyr Paniotto's commentary on self-assessment of happiness:

The researches that we and other sociological centers began to conduct after the start of the full-scale invasion were paradoxical. They showed that objectively the situation in the country had significantly worsened, while satisfaction with the government, the President, various aspects of life, the level of security, and the feeling of happiness had increased.

I repeat here the reasoning that I have already expressed in other articles and press releases on happiness. First, the mechanism of happiness formation is not simple and linear. For example, the growth of wealth does not always lead to an increase in the level of happiness. In the USA, from 1985 to 2005, the real income of the population doubled, but the level of happiness did not change. The fact is that the level of happiness can be conventionally represented as a fraction, the numerator of which is the level of achievements in a broad sense (level of material security, creative work, loved one, etc.), and the denominator is the level of encroachments (for example, what level of material security a person considers sufficient). The level of encroachments itself is formed depending on the level of achievements of the respondent's reference group. As the American happiness researcher R. Layard wrote, people do not become happier when their entire society becomes richer, people become happier when they become richer than their neighbors. In war conditions, when millions of people suffer, the level of encroachment (the denominator of the happiness formula) decreases significantly, and this compensates for the hardships that people experience. It is clear that those who are in a combat zone become unhappy, but they make up only a few percent.

Secondly, the level of happiness is influenced by many factors, for example, the behavior of children, intimate relationships, relationships with friends, etc. And although the material conditions of life have significantly worsened and many people suffer from separation from their families, there are factors that increase the level of happiness. The cohesion of our society has significantly increased, regional differences have decreased, the value of the state for the population of Ukraine has increased, mutual support has increased, and the socio-psychological climate has improved. All this compensates for the worsening situation and makes the decline in the level of happiness slower.

Despite four years of terrible war, Ukrainians continue to demonstrate extraordinary resilience and optimism. According to a survey, 69% of our fellow citizens consider themselves happy, while only 16% feel unhappy. These figures testify to the strength of spirit, faith in the future and the ability to find joy even in the most difficult circumstances. The Ukrainian people are not only fighting for their freedom, but also remain steadfast in their pursuit of a happy life.

Appendix 1. Formulation questions of from the questionnaire.

Which of these situations have you experienced during the year? RANDOMIZATION OF READING. MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE.

Do you consider yourself a happy person? 

Appendix 2. Tables

Table D1. Which of these situations have you experienced during the year?

% of those who experienced some kind of stressful situation

Continuation

Table D2. Do you consider yourself a happy person?

* For 2012-2013, the combined annual average is given. Since May 2015, data has been given for Ukraine without temporarily occupied territories (AR Crimea, part of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts).