Most Ukrainians feel happy despite constant stress
Despite the third year of a full-scale invasion and a complex geopolitical situation, Ukrainian society is demonstrating remarkable psychological resilience.
According to the latest data from KIIS, the vast majority of citizens continue to consider themselves happy, a figure several times higher than the number of those who feel depressed.
The results of a survey conducted in late 2025 show that 69% of respondents identify themselves as happy people.
Specifically, 37% of those surveyed gave a definite “yes” answer, while another 32% chose the “somewhat yes” option, underscoring the nation’s overall positive mood.
At the same time, the proportion of those who described themselves as unhappy is only 16%.
Thus, the number of happy citizens in the country is more than four times greater than the number of people with the opposite inner feeling, which is a phenomenal indicator for a country at war.
“The survey data show that 69% of Ukrainians at the end of 2025 consider themselves happy. At the same time, only 16% of respondents described themselves as unhappy,” state the sociologists at KIIS in their report.
However, this level of happiness borders on extreme psychological strain.
The study found that 80% of Ukrainians experienced serious stressful situations at least once during 2025, caused by combat operations and their consequences.
The most severe stressors remain shelling and bombing, which directly affected 36% of those surveyed.
Social divisions are also critical: 21% of citizens suffer from prolonged separation from loved ones, and one in five Ukrainians has experienced the irreparable loss of a loved one.
In addition to military threats, mental health is affected by illness and economic instability.
About 13% of Ukrainians have undergone surgery, and 10% have lost their jobs, forcing people to seek alternative sources of income, including investments in bonds or cryptocurrencies.
Interestingly, 14% of respondents reported a complete absence of stress in their lives over the past year.
Experts attribute this figure not to security conditions, but to the psyche’s deep adaptation to the prolonged conflict and a shift in the perception of what is normal.
It is worth noting that Ukrainians are increasingly focusing on work-life balance.
Ukrainians are also increasingly preferring cashless payments.
