Seven in 10 Ukrainians consider themselves happy, poll finds
Most Ukrainians considered themselves happy in May 2026 (Photo: Unsplash Jamie Brown)
Despite Russia’s ongoing war, 71% of Ukrainians say they consider themselves happy, according to a survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).
The poll was conducted by telephone among 2,007 Ukrainian adults living in government-controlled areas of the country. Respondents of different ages were selected using a random sample.
Overall, 31% said they definitely considered themselves happy, while another 40% answered “rather yes than no.”
Another 16% said they did not consider themselves happy — 9% answered “rather no than yes,” while 7% gave a definite “no.”
A further 11% chose “both yes and no,” reflecting a more ambiguous assessment of their own happiness, KIIS said.
Age and gender affect happiness levels
Age and gender generally influence how people assess their happiness, the institute said.
Men in Ukraine report being slightly happier than women, although KIIS said this is largely linked to demographic differences. Women in Ukraine live about 10 years longer than men on average, while happiness levels tend to decline with age.
That pattern differs significantly from findings in many studies in the United States and European countries, where happiness tends to decline until around ages 45-50 and then begins rising again.
In Ukraine, 75% of respondents under 40 considered themselves happy in May 2026, compared with 60% among people aged 70 and older.
Income, health and sense of purpose also matter
People’s financial situation has a strong relationship with happiness levels, the survey found.
Only 48% of respondents with very low levels of financial well-being described themselves as happy, compared with 91% among the most financially secure respondents.
Health was another important factor: people who considered themselves healthy were more likely to say they were happy.
A sense of purpose also showed a strong correlation with happiness.
Among respondents who said they did not know the meaning or purpose of their lives, 41% considered themselves happy. That figure rose to 79% among those who said they understood their life’s purpose.
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