15.03.2018
Where do Ukrainians want to live?
- According to the results of a study conducted by Rating Group, 17% of respondents said that their relatives had worked abroad as labor migrants during the previous six months, while 11% reported that members of their family were permanently employed abroad. At the same time, 70% stated that none of their close relatives had worked abroad during this period, and 2% were unable to answer.
- The highest share of respondents with family members who have experience of working abroad was recorded in the Western macro-region, especially in Zakarpattia. Such responses were also relatively more common among rural residents and among respondents with higher levels of income.
- Overall, 65% of respondents said they do not want to change their country of residence, while 27% reported that they are considering emigration. The desire to move abroad was most common among young people under the age of 35, among whom nearly half expressed such intentions. Men, respondents with higher levels of education, and those with higher incomes were also somewhat more inclined to consider leaving the country. Notably, among respondents who have labor migrants in their families, the intention to emigrate is significantly higher.
- A relatively larger share of those who would like to leave Ukraine was recorded in the northern regions (Zhytomyr and Sumy oblasts and the city of Kyiv) as well as in the western regions (Zakarpattia, Ternopil, and Chernivtsi oblasts).
- When asked about the country in which they would prefer their children to live, half of the respondents (50%) named Ukraine. Another quarter chose European countries, 7% selected the United States, 3% mentioned other countries, and only 2% named Russia. Thirteen percent of respondents were unable to give a definite answer.
- Ukraine was more often chosen as the preferred country for children by older respondents, rural residents, and those with lower income levels. In contrast, younger, wealthier, and more highly educated respondents were more likely to prefer other countries, most often in the West, as a place of residence for the next generation. The presence of labor migrants in the family also strongly affects this choice: almost half of respondents who have relatives working abroad would prefer their children to live outside Ukraine rather than in their home country.
- The highest proportions of respondents who see living abroad as more desirable for their children were recorded in Sumy, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, Ternopil, Zakarpattia, and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts, as well as in the city of Kyiv.
Methodology
- Audience: the adult population of Ukraine aged 18 and over.
- Sample size: 30,000 respondents (1,200 in each region).
- Sampling: representative by age, gender, region, and type of settlement.
- Method: face-to-face formalized interviews.
- Margin of error: not more than 0.6%.
- Fieldwork dates: December 12–28, 2017.
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