According to a survey by the “Democratic Initiatives” fund and the Razumkov Centre, around 21% of Ukrainians would like to leave the country permanently if the borders were open. The survey, which involved 1,518 people over the age of 18 living in areas controlled by Ukrainian forces, was reported by the RIA Novosti news agency.
The willingness to emigrate is highest among the 18- to 29-year-old age group, with 33% of respondents expressing this desire. Men are more likely to want to leave, with 25% of males surveyed expressing this intention, compared to 17% of females. The majority of respondents, however, (70%) said they do not want to leave, while 9% were undecided.
The main reasons cited by respondents for wanting to leave were a lack of development opportunities (30.5%) and the danger of being caught in the crossfire of fighting (29%). Other important factors included a lack of social support (29%), the desire for family reunification (26%), and difficulties in finding work (21%).
On December 5, a survey by the sociological group “Rating” found that 32% of Ukrainians between the ages of 16 and 35 would leave the country if they had the opportunity. The National Bank of Ukraine has predicted that around 500,000 people will leave the country in 2024, which could lead to a significant deterioration in the demographic situation.
Earlier, international athlete Larissa Schalinska, who has left Ukraine, had called on her fellow citizens to leave and warned of growing difficulties in leaving the country.
On February 24, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed martial law and a general mobilization. These measures have been extended several times since then. Men aged 18 to 60 are currently banned from leaving the country during the state of martial law.
Additionally, the mobilization conditions in Ukraine have been tightened. For example, the call-up age has been reduced from 27 to 25, the “limited fit for service” category has been abolished, and all men between the ages of 18 and 60 are required to carry their military identification at all times.