Survey reveals Ukrainians demonstrate pragmatism, high expectations, and zero tolerance for corruption

The second wave of a sociological survey reveals that, according to the citizens of Ukraine, corruption and war remain the country's main problems. Interestingly, corruption in the context of future recovery concerns the population even more than the prospect of military actions repeating. Overall, Ukrainians are entering 2024 with more pragmatic and sober views yet strongly wanting to engage in societal processes.

These findings come from Transparency International Ukraine, which presented the data in the second wave of a sociological study. The research was conducted by the Info Sapiens research agency, supported by the USAID project "Support for anti-corruption leaders in Ukraine – Interaction." The survey focused on Ukraine's future reconstruction needs and expectations among the general population and mayors, Rubryka reports.

Similar to the spring findings, Ukrainians consider corruption the most significant risk to recovery, specifically concerning the resurgence of corrupt schemes (79%) and the lack of control, leading to embezzlement (75%).

The third and fourth concerns for the population are large-scale destruction (65%) and the threat of a recurrence of hostilities (63%). Almost all indicators have significantly increased in the last six months.

The citizens continue to identify war (96% in November, 98% in March), corruption (88% in November, 77% in March), and the destruction of infrastructure and housing (82% in November, 87% in March) as the country's main problems.

While fears of war and destruction have decreased by the end of the year, concerns about corruption risks have increased by 11% among Ukrainians.

At the same time, the population's views on Ukraine's recovery have become more pragmatic than six months ago. Compared to the previous survey, the percentage of Ukrainians expecting the reconstruction to last more than ten years has significantly increased. In March, 63% of the population held this belief, while in November, 73% anticipated a reconstruction period of ten years or more.

Similar predictions apply to the economic recovery, with 70% believing this process will take ten years or more.

Ukrainians emphasize that the government should consult with the public on reconstruction matters, maintaining a consistent trend: 93% in spring and 92% in autumn support this idea.

Significantly, the majority (65%) of those who suffered losses and damages (17% of all respondents) did not apply for compensation. Among them, 37% believe that the state has more urgent needs.

"By the end of 2023, Ukrainians increasingly focus on internal problems. People vividly single out corruption as the embodiment of all of Ukraine's major challenges. This research also shows that Ukrainians are becoming more demanding not only of results but also of clearly communicated plans that could alleviate their concerns. They demand the government's full involvement and honest dialogue," Anastasiia Mazurok, Deputy Executive Director of Transparency International Ukraine, summarized.

Transparency International Ukraine, an accredited representative of the global Transparency International movement since 2012, has been assisting Ukraine in becoming stronger. The organization takes a comprehensive approach to reducing corruption levels in various sectors.

This survey was made possible with the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the #Interaction Project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of Transparency International Ukraine and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

The project "Support for anti-corruption leaders in Ukraine – Interaction" is a six-year initiative by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to help Ukraine combat corruption and increase accountability and transparency in governance. The program seeks to provide key government institutions with additional opportunities to fight corruption, strengthen support, involve civil society in anti-corruption initiatives, reduce citizens' tolerance for corruption, and ensure maximum transparency and accountability in Ukraine's post-war reconstruction.

Previous surveys indicated that one-third of Ukrainians believe recent news about the arrest of bribe-takers reflects hopeless corruption and a lack of any changes. However, over half of citizens think that efforts to overcome corruption in the country are happening, and positive shifts are being seen.

It was also reported that, for the first time in Ukraine, a court decision was made to pay compensation to a corruption whistleblower.