Poll reveals: Ukrainians' biggest fear during war isn't missile strikes
Ukrainians in a subway station during an air raid alert (photo: Getty Images)
During the war, Ukrainians are especially concerned that children may grow up in poverty in the future, according to a study by the sociological Rating Group.
According to the survey, the risk that children will grow up in poverty has become the biggest concern for Ukrainians. Overall, 88% of respondents are worried about this, with 74% saying they are very concerned.
The top three fears also included the quality of education and poverty in general.
Top 3 concerns among Ukrainians
- Children growing up in poverty — 88% concerned, 74% very concerned
- Quality of education — 85% concerned, 59% very concerned
- Poverty in general — 84% concerned, 57% very concerned.
Sociologists note that climate and political divisions also worry Ukrainians, much less than the average among EU citizens. During the war, socio-economic and humanitarian issues have pushed them into the background.
Overall, Ukrainians' responses are similar to average figures in European Union countries. At the same time, the difference lies in the intensity of concerns.
In particular, Ukrainians react much more sharply than EU citizens to the risks of poverty, the quality of education, and population aging. At the same time, they are somewhat less concerned about political divisions and climate change.
Sociologists emphasize that the future of children has become the most painful issue for Ukrainian society. For comparison, on average across the EU, 40% of citizens are very concerned about the risk of child poverty, while in Ukraine this figure reaches 74%.
A similar situation exists with education: the overall level of concern is almost the same — 85% in Ukraine versus 81% in the EU. However, the share of those who are very concerned is significantly higher among Ukrainians — 59% versus 39%.
What other surveys showed
Sociologists previously recorded that for many Ukrainians, not only the war remains a serious threat to the country's future.
Thus, more than 50% of citizens consider corruption in state authorities to be a greater danger to Ukraine's development than Russia's military aggression.
However, despite all the challenges, Ukrainians remain optimistic about the country's future.
According to a survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, more than 60% of respondents believe that in 10 years, Ukraine will become a prosperous state within the European Union.
At the same time, another study showed that about one-third of Ukrainians do not trust Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
