News and Press releases

Researchers from the Rating Group conducted a national survey ahead of Independence Day 2025! What do Ukrainians associate with independence and unity? And what, on the contrary, divides us?

The survey was conducted using a special methodology on the Rating Online platform. This allows us to compare the responses of Ukrainians at home with the opinions of Ukrainians who have moved to Europe since 2022.

What unites and divides Ukrainians

• The victories of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are a key factor in unity today (55%). Ukrainians rally around their defenders and the preservation of the state.
• In second place is mutual assistance (more than a third of respondents).
• The reconstruction of the country also has significant potential for unity. It was identified by about a third of Ukrainians abroad and at home.
• Mutual accusations (57%), political conflicts (52%), and the economic crisis (37%) are most likely to divide society.
• Ukrainians in Europe place relatively more emphasis on mutual accusations (68%) and language issues (34%) as factors of division.

Events and symbols of independence

• Along with the 1991 declaration (51%), Ukrainians mention the resistance of 2022 (51%), the events of the Anti-Terrorist Operation/Joint Forces Operation (42%), and the Revolution of Dignity (47%) as the most important events in the formation of the modern nation. This is a common thread: from the proclamation to the establishment of independence.
• Ukrainians in Europe are relatively more likely to mention obtaining EU candidate status as a significant event (22% compared to 15% in Ukraine).
• Independence Day is most often associated with the slogan “Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!” both at home and among Ukrainians abroad. The ideas of freedom, resilience, unity, and dignity are also frequently mentioned.

EU and NATO membership

• The majority of Ukrainians support EU (75%) and NATO (71%) membership.
• Among Ukrainians who have been forced to leave the country since 2022 and are now in Europe, this support is even stronger (83% and 78%).

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Rating Group is one of Ukraine's largest research institutions, operating since 2008. The company is registered in Ukraine and has extensive experience in conducting sociological surveys in Ukraine and abroad. The group includes: Sociological Group Rating, Rating Lab research laboratory, Rating Online platform, and Rating Call Center.

Rating Group and UNICEF Ukraine have published the results of a joint large-scale study on the mental health of Ukrainians. "Mind frames" is a unique project within the framework of the All-Ukrainian mental health program "How are you?" (an initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska).

The research part was carried out by the Research Laboratory Rating Lab. The team developed a special methodology and surveyed five target audiences at once: parents of children aged 0-9; children aged 10-17 and their parents; young people aged 18-25 and other adults. The special methodology allows you to compare the answers of parents and their children.

According to the results, about half of Ukrainians have high or elevated levels of stress. The study also demonstrates how important strong relationships between parents and children, caring, and shared hobbies are for mental health. These are essential factors in adapting to stress, especially in wartime.

"Mental health is the foundation of every child's well-being. This research reveals not only the importance of loving and engaging caregivers but how parenthood can improve adults' resilience, helping the family to better cope with the stress of living through wartime. There is an urgent need to support families through access to quality social services and resources for their mental well-being, regardless of their life circumstances, and wherever they live," - Shameza Abdulla, UNICEF Representative (a.i.) to Ukraine (as cited on the UNICEF website)

"Mind Frames" also became one of the largest projects of Rating Group/Rating Lab.

"Mind Frames" is a unique study and one of the largest projects of Rating Group and Rating Lab. A large team of analysts and experts, a large complex sample (almost 12 thousand people, but special attention to parents and their children aged 10-17). And, of course, a large set of topics: resilience, stress, triggers and reactions to them, hobbies, psychological help. We are very grateful to our partners with UNICEF Ukraine and the "How are you?" program. It is important that the idea of ​​supporting mental health is promoted at such a high level. In turn, Rating Lab is always ready to provide valid and reliable data," - Marianna Tkalich, founder and CEO of Rating Lab, Doctor of Psychological Sciences

Mind frames: Ukrainians' perceptions of mental health and psychological support through the lens of resilience

Rating Group and UNICEF Ukraine have published the results of a joint large-scale study on the mental health of Ukrainians. ‘Mind frames’ is a unique project within the framework of the All-Ukrainian mental health programme ‘How are you?’ (an initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska).

Rating Lab carried out the research part — they developed a special methodology, surveyed about 12,000 Ukrainians and found out the following:

• how psychologically resilient Ukrainians are;
• what helps them adapt to stress;
• how Ukrainians feel about psychological support.

The study focused on five target audiences: parents of children aged 0-9; children aged 10-17 and their parents; young people aged 18-25 and other adults aged 25+. A special methodology and survey method allows for a direct comparison of the responses of parents and their children.

Stress and its triggers

• Almost half of Ukrainians (47%) have high or elevated stress levels. At the same time, 73% of Ukrainians are generally resilient to stress. This helps them adapt to constantly stressful living conditions.
• The main triggers of stress in adults aged 18+ are financial difficulties, sirens and loud noises, news and arguments with loved ones (29%). Young people aged 18-25 also often mention feelings of being ignored, ridiculed and bullied.
• For children aged 10-17, the main triggers are exams, tests and quizzes, arguments with parents/loved ones, being ignored and avoided (28%), ridicule and bullying (28%), sirens and loud/sharp noises.

Adaptability to stress

Adaptability is an experimental indicator of the interaction between stress and resilience. It shows how effectively a person responds to stressful conditions and situations.

• Less than half of Ukrainians (45%) are adapted to stress, i.e. they have both low stress and high resilience.
• Another 35% are partially adapted, and 20% are not adapted.

Parents, children, family

• 52% of those who have a partner, children and live together (i.e. their own family) are adapted, among them are the fewest maladapted (18%). Among those who do not have children and a partner, on the contrary, only 39% are adapted and 23% are maladapted.
• Parents' perceptions of their children's emotions differ significantly from the children's self-reflection: children experience joy much more often than their parents say.
• Communication within the family is very important. The more often children aged 10-17 communicate with their parents, the more adapted they are to stress. Parents help their children a lot when, during a stressful event, they talk to them about their feelings, share their experiences, explain what is happening, and hug them.
• Having a shared hobby helps both children and parents adapt. 57% of children have a shared hobby with their parents. This has an even stronger effect on parents: 64% of parents who share a hobby with their children are adaptable to stress.

What hobbies help you be more resilient?

• Having a hobby is an important factor in adapting to stress. They allow you to ‘reboot’ and develop resilience mechanisms in response to the challenges of life in times of war.
• In all age groups, those who do not have a hobby are less adapted to stress.
• The most resourceful activities are those that involve physical activity.
• The least resourceful hobbies are those related to devices and gadgets (computers, phones). It is in these activities that we often see the lowest resilience.

Attitude towards psychological assistance

• More than half of Ukrainians have a positive attitude towards psychological assistance (57%), while the remaining 47% are critical.
• The most positive attitude is among women aged 18-29.

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The study was conducted in collaboration with the Oleksandr Yaremenko Ukrainian Institute for Social Research and the Institute for Behavioural Research at American University Kyiv.

As part of a global study by Gallup International, Rating Group asked Ukrainians: "Suppose you could have only one child. Would you prefer that it be a boy or a girl or is gender irrelevant?"

Key findings:

• For the absolute majority of Ukrainians (70%), the gender of the child is irrelevant. This follows the global trend - an average of 64% of respondents in the world have the same opinion.
• 14% of Ukrainians would like the child to be a girl, 13% would like a boy.
• India, the Philippines, Ecuador are the countries where boys are the most preferred.
• South Korea, Japan, Spain lean towards girls.

The End of Year Survey (EoY) is an annual global survey by Gallup International which studies opinions of people in different countries. It includes the topics of the future, happiness, and economic expectations. In 2024, 35 882 respondents were surveyed in 35 countries. This is the second time the Rating Group conducted the EoY survey in Ukraine.

On July 20–22, 2025, Rating Group conducted a survey on national identity, perceptions of the state, and resilience of Ukrainians.

Self-identification

• The absolute majority of Ukrainians (94%) feel like citizens of Ukraine.
• During the full-scale war, the self-identification of Ukrainians shifted even more towards the country as a whole: people associate themselves more with Ukraine as a whole than with their region (77%).
• More than half (52%) consider themselves Europeans and only 8% consider themselves Soviet.

Independence and the future of Ukraine

• 95% of Ukrainians would vote “for” independence if such a choice was to be made today. In 2012, only 62% would vote this way.
• Victory in the war remains a key condition for maintaining independence (57%). This is followed by the fight against corruption (35%) and the unity of society (30%).
• Skepticism about restoring friendly relations with the Russians is increasing: 61% consider this impossible (versus 42% at the beginning of the full-scale invasion).

In September 2024, Rating Group asked Ukrainians about European integration and related issues: post-war reconstruction, environment, and energy. The data was collected for a study by DiXi Group and the Resource and Analytical Center "Society and Environment".

What our partners learned from the data collected by Rating Group:

• There is a significant demand among Ukrainians for information about the EU accession, especially about the impact of reforms on citizens and the potential benefits.
• Respondents consider safety, availability of shelters (58%), as well as energy efficiency and environmental friendliness (55%) to be the most important principles for rebuilding cities and housing.
• Despite the war, Ukrainians note the importance of environmental protection (96%). Restoring nature (forests, reserves) is an extremely important direction of post-war reconstruction (98%).
• Most Ukrainians also believe that they can personally play a role in protecting the environment (75%). Ukrainians are also willing to participate in specific environmental initiatives: planting plants, helping animals, spreading information about environmental problems, and cleaning up in green areas.
• Less than 6% of Ukrainians participate in state energy efficiency programs. This indicates that the coverage of such programs probably needs to be expanded.

See the full study report in the attached file and on the DiXi Group website.

The study was conducted with the financial support of the European Union within the framework of the project “Integrating Sustainable Development in Ukraine in Accordance with the European Green Deal” and the Center for Liberal Modernity (Zentrum Liberale Moderne) within the framework of the project “Ukraine in Europe – German-Ukrainian Parliamentary Dialogue, Strengthening Competence on Ukraine in Germany and Promoting Ukraine’s European Integration”. The project was implemented by a consortium of public organizations: “DIXI GROUP” (coordinator), Resource and Analytical Center “Society and Environment”, Association “Energy Efficient Cities of Ukraine”, “Ukrainian Leadership Academy”, “Women's Energy Club of Ukraine”, “DZYGA”, “PLATO”.

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The Civil Network OPORA has presented the results of a study on the social unity of Ukrainians during wartime. To conduct the research, Rating Group surveyed over 2,000 respondents in Ukraine and approximately 400 Ukrainians abroad in April 2025.

What OPORA learned from Rating Group's data:

• The vast majority of Ukrainians (84% inside the country and 78% abroad) are proud to be citizens of Ukraine.
• Around 87% of respondents in Ukraine and 76% abroad feel emotionally attached to Ukraine.
• 75% of Ukrainians within the country and 71% abroad believe that people in Ukraine have a lot in common.
• 81% of respondents in Ukraine and 77% outside of it feel trusted by those around them.
• On the other hand, only 21% in Ukraine and 18% abroad say they trust most people.

The full research report is available in the attached file and on the Civil Network OPORA’s website.

Data from Rating Group forms the basis of a new UNICEF study on parenthood! In May 2025, we surveyed Ukrainians who are planning to have children, pregnant women, and parents of children aged 0–6. The survey was conducted in collaboration with Advanter Group and with the support of the Center for Social Change and Behavioral Economics.

According to our partners at UNICEF, the survey results revealed the following:

• 21% of respondents plan to have a child in the near future, while another 26% are postponing this decision until the end of the war.
• 89% of Ukrainian parents understand the importance of emotional connection with their child for their psychological well-being.
• At the same time, 67% of parents do not have access to basic resources to support them in raising their children. Only 20% have attended a specialized parenting course at least once.
• 86% of respondents believe it is necessary to launch a national program to support parenthood.

See also the original press release on the UNICEF website

On July 4-5, 2025, Rating Group asked Ukrainians about the U.S. support for Ukraine, efforts to achieve peace, and trust in Ukrainian politicians and military-political leadership.

Support from the U.S.

• Ukrainians expect that the U.S. will not stop supplying weapons.
• At the same time, only 11% of respondents expect that the U.S. will supply Ukraine with weapons in full, while only 8% do not expect any U.S. military assistance.
• At the same time, a quarter expect that the assistance will be minimal, and the majority (53%) expect partial, that is, it will be maintained.

Efforts to achieve peace

• The assessment of the Ukrainian negotiating team's efforts to achieve peace has decreased: in June, 48% of respondents believed that it was "doing everything possible," whereas 36% shared this opinion in July.
• In contrast, the majority (60%) believe that President Zelenskyy is doing everything possible to achieve peace.

Trust in politicians, officials

• Valeriy Zaluzhny (73%), Volodymyr Zelenskyy (67%) and Kyrylo Budanov (56%) are trusted the most.
• Oleksandr Syrskyi is trusted less (41%). Denys Shmyhal is trusted by a quarter of respondents.

Rating Group surveyed over 5,000 teenagers and their parents for the study ‘Index of the Future: Professional Expectations and Development of Teenagers in Ukraine’! This is a project of our partners KSE Institute and UNICEF, which was carried out on the initiative of the Olena Zelenska Foundation in cooperation with the humanitarian organisation People in Need and with the financial support of the Czech people.

Rating Group collected data using the unique Family 360° family survey technology. The focus here is on the child, who takes the survey themselves, as well as their parents, family members, and in some cases teachers, doctors, psychologists, etc. Comparing the answers of children and their parents allows us to understand the relationships and changes within the family.

Below are some of the findings that our partners have discovered thanks to this data.

Vision of the future

• 82% of teenagers see their future as promising.
• The majority (60%) also consider Ukraine's future to be promising.
• At the same time, one in four children see their future abroad. Children whose parents would also like them to emigrate, as well as children who see Ukraine's future as hopeless (in general or rather), are more likely to want to live abroad.

Career guidance

• 8/10 teenagers have already thought about their future career. Girls (85%) think about this slightly more often than boys (74%).
• At the same time, only 30% were able to name a specific profession or type of employment they would like to pursue in the future.
• The most common career guidance activities are talking to parents (74%), searching the Internet for information about professions (56%) and educational institutions (44%), searching for grants and other opportunities (23%), and taking tests (17%).
• Teenagers whose parents discuss the future with them are more likely to think about their future profession (83% compared to 60% whose parents do not discuss these issues with them).

How is society's attitude toward the military changing? Should we expect serious conflicts?

Follow the link to read a new article by BBC News Ukraine with data from Rating Group. Lyubomyr Mysiv, deputy director of the company, provides commentary.

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Cover image: Getty Images/BBC collage.

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On June 25, 2025, the Deposit Guarantee Fund presented the results of a nationwide survey on financial services consumers' awareness of the deposit guarantee system. For the second time since 2022, data for this socio-economic study was collected by Rating Group.

“We understand how much Ukraine has changed since the start of the full-scale invasion... And it is important that, despite such colossal changes, the data shows growing confidence in the banking system and the Deposit Guarantee Fund,” said Oleksiy Antypovych, CEO of Rating Group.

Links:

• Research results
• Video recording of the conference

On June 24, 2025, the Deposit Guarantee Fund presented the results of a new study of the financial habits of Ukrainians. The data for this study - for the second time since the beginning of the full-scale invasion - was collected by the Rating Group.

In spring, Rating Group interviewed Ukrainians who have bank accounts and/or use any financial services. According to the data, our partners learned, in particular, the following:

• Confidence in banks is growing despite the full-scale war (68% in 2025 compared to 56% in 2021)
• When choosing a bank, respondents primarily consider its reliability/stability (54%)
• There is a demand for information on bank deposit guarantee (35%) and compensation to depositors of bankrupt banks (30%)

The research report (ukr.) is available on the website of the Deposit Guarantee Fund and in the attached file.

As part of the global End of Year Survey by Gallup International (conducted at the end of 2024), Rating Group asked Ukrainians: does a mobile device improve the quality of their life?

The End of Year Survey (EoY) is an annual global survey by Gallup International which studies opinions of people in different countries. It includes the topics of the future, happiness, and economic expectations. In 2024, 35 882 respondents were surveyed in 35 countries.

This is the second time the Rating Group conducted the EoY survey in Ukraine.

Key Findings

• The vast majority of Ukrainians (92%) feel that a mobile device improves the quality of their life to one degree or another.
• In the world overall, the prevailing opinion is that a mobile device improves the quality of life (84%). That is, Ukraine is among the countries with the most positive perception of the mobile devices' role.
• Among the countries where a mobile device significantly improves the quality of life, China, Malaysia, Kenya and South Korea stand out.
• In Iraq, Armenia, and Japan, the share of people who see benefits in mobile device is the smallest. Nevertheless, in these countries, the majority of respondents still believe that mobile devices improve life.

Rating Group found out how Ukrainians perceive happiness and life during the war. This is a part of the global End of Year Survey by Gallup International (conducted at the end of 2024).

The End of Year Survey (EoY) is an annual global survey by Gallup International which studies opinions of people in different countries. It includes the topics of the future, happiness, and economic expectations. In 2024, 35 882 respondents were surveyed in 35 countries.

This is the second time the Rating Group conducted the EoY survey in Ukraine.

Key Findings

• In terms of happiness, Ukraine is second from the bottom among the 35 countries that participated in the study (last is India): only 33% of Ukrainians feel happy. Instead, 28% are unhappy.
• About 40% of Ukrainians choose the option "in the middle" between feeling happy/unhappy. In the context of war, this indicates rather the experience of contrasting, changing emotions (from elation to despair, depending on the situation).
• And although more than a third of respondents worry a lot about their lives, the majority of Ukrainians (62%) still perceive life "as it is", adapting to the realities of war.
• The percentage of the answer "very worried" in Ukraine practically coincides with the world average. Colombia, Argentina, Japan, Iran, and India are the countries with the largest shares of respondents who are worried abouth their life.
• In contrast, in Saudi Arabia, China, South Korea, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, have the smallest share of those who worry a lot about their lives.

Data collected by Rating Group became the basis of an important study "What motivates women to stay in Ukraine?" This is a project of our partners: Center for Economic Strategy and the Institute for Behavioral Studies at the American University Kyiv.

An online survey of Ukrainian women in Ukraine and abroad was conducted on January 23-30 on the Rating Online platform. The research team found out that:

• The vast majority of women (75%) do not plan to move abroad, but young women aged 18-29 (26%) are relatively more likely to have such a desire
• The main reasons for staying in Ukraine are family (91%) and a sense of belonging to Ukraine (88%), own housing/household (72%) and established infrastructure
• The main motivators for leaving are the desire for a better standard of living (75%) and security (73%)
• Ukrainian women abroad assess all risks of living in Ukraine much higher than women in Ukraine

More results of the study are in the research report (available in the attached file and on the website of the Center for Economic Strategy).

The study was conducted with the support of the UK Government through the UK Department for International Development as part of the project to support the Government of Ukraine in developing and implementing evidence-based policies to address demographic challenges, implemented by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund in Ukraine in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, in collaboration with the NGO “UA Experts”.

On May 16, the Sociological Group Rating conducted a nationwide survey of the adult population of Ukraine on the topic of negotiations that took place in Turkey.

• According to the results, the absolute majority of respondents (74%) support the initiative of a 30-day ceasefire without any conditions.
• Most consider President Zelensky's last visit to Turkey a success (53%).
• The level of trust in President Zelensky among Ukrainians has stabilized at 70%, which is higher than at the beginning of the year (53-58%).
• Despite the fact that only a quarter of respondents believe that the talks in Turkey will bring us closer to peace, the respondents believe that Ukraine should continue to show openness to negotiations, and that President Zelensky (47%) can participate in them, even in the absence of Putin.
• According to Ukrainians, the main reasons for Putin's absence from the negotiations are unwillingness to end the war (54%) and fear (22%).

On May 6, 2025, a report of the joint study by the Rating Group, Steel Swallow Community, Zagoriy Foundation, and Halt Space on the topic of civil-military partnership in Ukraine was released. The research team learned the views of Ukrainian military personnel and civilians, identifying the main development prospects and barriers for cooperation.

Data collection consisted of three stages:

1. Qualitative survey of civilians: focus groups and in-depth interviews with civilians aged 22-55.
2. Quantitative survey of civilians: telephone survey (CATI) of the adult population of Ukraine (aged 18+).
3. Qualitative survey of the military: in-depth interviews with military personnel aged 22-55.

The report is available in the attached file and on the Steel Swallow Community website.

Civilians respect veterans, but do not always understand their experience. Therefore, certain positive and negative stereotypes and challenges for the adaptation of veterans are formed.

This is stated in the joint study "Stigmatization of Veterans: The Situation in Ukraine and the Experience of the USA" by the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veteran Affairs, the Rating Group and Syracuse University, which was presented on April 17, 2025. Rating Group carried out the second stage of the study - an analysis of the views of the partners of veterans regarding their stigmatization.

The company's director Oleksiy Antipovych also joined the presentation of the results.

This project also continues our good tradition of cooperation with the Ukrainian Veterans Fund, which has been ongoing since researching the image of veterans and the challenges in their experience.

See the research report at the link.

Thank you to all partners for their cooperation!

On April 17, 2025, the presentation of the study “Stigmatization of Veterans and Veterans” took place. This is a joint project of the Ukrainian Veterans Fund of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, Rating Group and Syracuse University.

The study consisted of three stages:

1. In-depth interviews with veterans and veterans about the experience of stigmatization.
2. Focus groups and in-depth interviews with partners of veterans and veterans, that is, analysis of observations of close people regarding stigmatization.
3. Content analysis of news about events from the life of veterans and veterans.

Find out about the second stage of the study (conducted by the Rating Group) below:

The release of the study is also available at Ukrainian Veterans Fund website.

Stigmatization of veterans/ok: the view of loved ones

• According to relatives, the attitude of society towards veterans is generally better than before February 2022 (compared to the experience of ATO veterans, in particular).
• At the same time, civilians often show a misunderstanding of how to treat military and veterans. They have feelings of guilt, pity and fear towards veterans, as well as stereotypes regarding the psychological state.
• Stereotypes about veteran women and veterans with disabilities remain a challenge. Women veterans were distrusted because of the association of the military profession only with men, and the fact that women served in the military was perceived as a violation of gender roles.
• They show respect for veterans with disabilities, but there is ignorance about correct communication with them. This causes fear and separation from them.
• The image of veterans and veterans in the Ukrainian media is positive. Veterans are mostly depicted as courageous, strong, successful, heroic. But there may also be some unrealism of heroized images of veterans in the media.
• The media sometimes over-romanticizes the life of veterans, there is a shift in focus from problems in the lives of veterans and veterans
• Potential dangers of stigmatizing veterans: loss of authority, potential conflicts between military and civilians, feelings of injustice on the part of veterans.