After the start of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, the share of citizens who believe that events in Ukraine are developing in the right direction increased significantly (from 20% in December 2021 to 51% in September-October 2022, reaching the highest figures in February-March 2023 (61%).
After that, there is a tendency to decrease this indicator. According to the latest survey, the shares of those who believe that events in Ukraine are developing in the right direction (41%) and those who hold the opinion that they are developing in the wrong direction (38%) do not differ statistically significantly (21% are undecided ).
According to the results of the December survey, 45% of Ukrainians believed that events were developing in the right direction, 33% believed that they were in the wrong direction, and 21.5% were undecided.
According to the results of the survey for January, citizens most often point to the deterioration of the situation (compared to the beginning of 2023) in the following areas: the level of prices and tariffs (86 indicated the deterioration of the situation), the economic situation of the country (68), the level of stability (64, 5%), confidence of citizens in the future (63.5%), level of well-being of their family (58%), attitude of citizens to the authorities (53%). 61% of respondents point to the deterioration of the situation in the country as a whole.
Also, a relative majority of the respondents state that the situation has worsened in the following areas: the government’s attitude towards citizens (46%), wages (43%).
Regarding compliance with the law by civil servants, approximately equal shares of respondents believe that the situation here has worsened (41.5%) and that it has not changed (39%).
Most often, citizens believe that the situation has not changed over the past year in the areas of pension provision (55%), health care (52%), and freedom of speech (51%).
The relative majority of respondents believe that there have been no significant changes in the level of democracy in the country (49%), the position of ethnic and religious minorities (47.5%), social protection (social payments, assistance, subsidies, etc.) (46%), in the sphere observance of the rights and freedoms of citizens (44%), in education (44%), in the situation with crime (43%), in the sphere of international relations in Ukraine (41%).
Positive changes, in the opinion of citizens, mostly concern the country’s defense capability (its improvement is indicated by 51% of respondents) and the country’s international image (50.5%)
In addition, according to the survey, 33% of Ukrainians believe that Ukraine is capable of overcoming existing problems and difficulties within the next few years. 42% believe that Ukraine will be able to overcome problems in the longer term, and 9% believe that Ukraine will not be able to overcome existing problems (the rest are undecided).
Ukrainians most optimistically assessed the prospects for overcoming problems and difficulties at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023 (for example, in February-March 2023, 49%, 36% and 3%, respectively). And the estimates before the start of a full-scale war (in December 2021 – respectively 18%, 54% and 18%) were much more pessimistic.
The survey was conducted face-to-face in all regions, excluding temporarily occupied territories and those where hostilities are taking place. 2,000 respondents aged 18 and over were surveyed.
