February 17, 2025, Kyiv – The majority of Ukrainians report low levels of happiness and life satisfaction, coupled with high levels of anxiety. However, a significant portion finds meaning and value in their activities. These are the findings of a pilot  study on the personal well-being of Ukrainians conducted in June 2024 using the international methodology of the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Well-being is not just an economic indicator but a multifaceted concept that includes emotional state, physical health, relationships, living conditions, work, education, and other aspects. It offers a deeper understanding of the quality of life than traditional economic indicators.

Key Findings

• Life Satisfaction: The largest share of surveyed Ukrainians (42%) rated their life satisfaction low, indicating social, economic, and psychological difficulties. Only 25% of respondents reported high or very high life satisfaction, a critically low figure compared to expected well-being standards.
• Sense of Purpose and Value in Activities: The majority of surveyed Ukrainians evaluated their activities positively — 6262% consider their work meaningful and worth the effort. However, more than a third rated their activities as only partially meaningful, highlighting the need to encourage active participation in social and community development and create opportunities for self-realization.
• Happiness Levels: Every second respondent reported low or moderate levels of happiness. Only 43% indicated high or very high happiness levels, which suggests a need to improve happiness levels through support for social, economic, and cultural aspects of life.
• Anxiety Levels: Compared to other aspects, anxiety significantly impacts the emotional state of Ukrainians, with 43% experiencing high levels of anxiety, indicating significant emotional instability. Only 34% reported low levels of anxiety. Improving living conditions and fostering emotional well-being could involve creating a supportive social environment and providing more support opportunities.

"The results reveal an interesting trend: although 75% of surveyed Ukrainians are dissatisfied with their lives, and 65% experience high levels of anxiety, 62% still find significant meaning in their activities. It suggests that a sense of purpose helps Ukrainians cope partially with stress and challenges. It may be related to the importance of cultural, historical, and patriotic values. This deserves deeper research, as a sense of purpose could become the foundation for programs that support activity, cohesion, and psychological recovery," said Olena Litvinova, Partner at Ruban Litvinova Social Impact Advisory and co-author of the project.

The study results also allow for a comparison between the overall personal well-being of Ukrainians and British data, and broader possibilities for applying this approach. Personal well-being levels among Ukrainians are significantly lower across all key indicators compared to British standards. However, the sense of purpose in Ukraine is closer to that of the UK.

• Nearly half of surveyed Ukrainians feel highly dissatisfied with their lives, compared to just 6% in the UK.
• About three out of five Ukrainians find their activities meaningful, while four out of five in the UK share this view.
• 43% of Ukrainians reported feeling happy the day before, compared to 74% in the UK.
• Nearly one in two surveyed Ukrainians face high levels of anxiety, while this affects about one in four people in the UK.

The study was conducted by Ruban Litvinova Social Impact Advisory and the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) with the support of the Social Value Ukraine community in June 2024. The survey was conducted via telephone interviews (CATI) and included 2,008 respondents from Ukrainian government-controlled territories.

The project initiators conducted a second wave of the study, which allowed them to track changes in the well-being of Ukrainians over six months.

About the Project Participants

Ruban Litvinova Social Impact Advisory – Ukraine's first agency specializing in the development of evidence-based social impact strategies, helping businesses integrate social components into their operations based on in-depth analysis of societal needs and impact assessment methodologies. The agency uses the global Social ROI methodology to measure social value, evaluate initiative effectiveness, and transparently communicate results. It combines business strategies and social initiatives expertise and is a member of the international Social Value International network.

https://rubanlitvinova.com

Social Value Ukraine (SVU) – Ukraine's first community focused on developing practices for measuring social value and managing social impact. SVU is an associate member of Social Value International, a global network with a shared mission to change how society perceives value. The community's mission is to foster impact thinking among modern Ukrainian leaders.

https://www.svu.org.ua

Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) – One of Ukraine's leading sociological companies conducting research across various fields, such as socio-political orientations, socio-economic characteristics, humanitarian activities, public well-being, healthcare, and corruption. KIIS collaborates with international organizations, government bodies, and media, providing data on public attitudes, political preferences, and social trends.

https://kiis.com.ua

Media Contacts

Oksana Yanovska

o.yanovska@newsfront.com.ua

+380983933188

Download the Study “Well-being of Ukrainians: A pilot study on the level of personal well-being of Ukrainians conducted using the ONS4 methodology of the UK Office for National Statistics”.