If borders were opened, 70% of Ukrainians would not move abroad, survey shows

According to a survey conducted by the Democratic Initiatives Foundation named after Ilko Kucheriv in collaboration with the Razumkov Center's sociological service, 70% of respondents stated they would not want to move to another country for permanent residence if borders were opened for the entire population. 

On the other hand, 21% of respondents expressed that they would leave under such conditions, while 9% were undecided. Among the respondents, 25% of men expressed a desire to move abroad, compared to 17% of women. The highest percentage of those willing to leave for permanent residence was among respondents aged 18 to 29 years (33%).

"The older the age group of the respondent, the smaller the percentage of those who would like to move abroad for permanent residence. Among respondents aged 30 to 39, 27% would like to move abroad, among those aged 40 to 49, 23%, among those aged 50 to 59, 16%, and among those over 60 years old, 9%," the message states.

The survey was conducted from November 29 to December 14, 2024, using the face-to-face method. A total of 1,518 respondents aged 18 and older were surveyed, living in areas controlled by the Ukrainian government where no active combat operations are taking place. 

The theoretical margin of error does not exceed 2.6%. However, additional systematic sampling deviations may be due to the consequences of Russian aggression, including the forced evacuation of millions of citizens.

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