In early February 2025, Rating Group studied how Ukrainians perceive parcel delivery and international mail services, how they use them, and what they think about a potential increase in taxes on international parcels.

Key findings

• An absolute majority of respondents (82%) do not support the introduction of a 20% VAT on all international parcels.
• About half of Ukrainians actively use parcel delivery services within Ukraine, while one third received international parcels over the past year.
• Two thirds of Ukrainians emphasize the importance of international parcels during wartime.

Use of parcel delivery services

• Nearly one third of Ukrainians (29%) received international parcels over the past year. In most cases (68%), the parcel value was up to €50, which is the most common category among both higher-income and lower-income groups.
• At the same time, about half of Ukrainians actively use domestic parcel delivery services, meaning they send or receive parcels at least once every few months. More than one third of them do so several times per month.
• Among those who received goods from abroad, nearly one third (29%) ordered items that were important for overcoming the consequences of the energy crisis.
• Overall, the most popular items received through international mail are clothing and footwear (45%), as well as power banks, batteries, and charging devices (26%).

Assessment of the importance of international parcels

• Most Ukrainians recognize the importance of international postal parcels during the war (64%), including one quarter who consider them critically important.
• An absolute majority believe that increased costs of international parcels could negatively affect volunteer activities and defense efforts (79%).
• Even more Ukrainians believe that delays in international parcels could negatively affect these areas (85%).

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Rating Group is one of the largest research institutions in Ukraine, operating since 2008. The company is registered in Ukraine and has extensive experience conducting sociological research both domestically and internationally. The group includes the Rating Sociological Group, Rating Lab research laboratory, the Rating Online platform, and the Rating Call Center.