More than seven in 10 Ukrainians consider themselves happy despite more than four years of Russia’s full-scale war, according to a survey released by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).
The poll found that 71% of respondents described themselves as happy. Of those, 31% said they were definitely happy, while 40% selected “rather yes than no.”
Another 11% gave an ambivalent response, saying they felt both happy and unhappy. Sixteen percent described themselves as unhappy, while 7% said they were not happy.
The proportion of Ukrainians who consider themselves happy has changed little since December 2025 – rising from 69% to 71%. However, it has increased significantly from the 58% recorded in December 2024.
The latest figure also matches the level recorded in December 2021, two months before Russia launched its full-scale invasion, when 71% of respondents considered themselves happy.
KIIS President Volodymyr Paniotto said the results may initially appear paradoxical because Ukrainians have faced deaths, displacement, financial hardship, separation from relatives, and the loss of homes and their previous way of life.
He said the recovery in reported happiness did not result primarily from a decline in the proportion of unhappy respondents. That figure remained at about 16% in both December 2024 and the latest survey.
Instead, the share of people who answered “both yes and no” fell from approximately 25% to 11%. According to Paniotto, many respondents moved from an uncertain or conflicting perception of their lives toward a more positive assessment.
The survey cannot establish a definitive reason for that change. The institute suggested that psychological adaptation to a prolonged war could be one possible explanation but stressed that the data did not directly test that hypothesis.
“Seventy-one percent being happy does not mean Ukrainians do not notice the war or that their lives have become easier,” Paniotto said.
He said the findings instead demonstrated people’s capacity to adapt to extremely difficult circumstances, reconsider their expectations and values, and maintain a positive assessment of their lives.
At the same time, Paniotto cautioned that the 16% who described themselves as unhappy represented millions of people struggling with bereavement, health problems, financial hardship, and other consequences of the war.
Age, health, and income affect happiness
Age remained a significant factor. Seventy-five percent of respondents under 40 described themselves as happy, compared with 60% among those aged 70 and older.
KIIS said the relationship between happiness and financial well-being was almost linear. The share of happy respondents ranged from 48% among those reporting very low incomes to 91% among the wealthiest group.
Health showed a similar pattern. About half of respondents who rated their health as poor or very poor considered themselves happy, compared with 91% among those who reported the best health.
The poll also found a strong connection between happiness and a sense of purpose. Forty-one percent of respondents who said they did not know the meaning of their lives considered themselves happy, compared with 79% among those who said they did.
KIIS surveyed 2,007 Ukrainian adults by telephone between May 7 and June 3. Respondents lived in areas controlled by the Ukrainian government, although the sample included internally displaced people who had left Russian-occupied territories.
Residents of occupied areas and Ukrainians who moved abroad after Russia’s full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, were not included.
Under normal conditions, the survey’s margin of error would not exceed 2.8 percentage points.