More than half of Ukrainian IT professionals do not plan to move abroad — a study
More than 55% of IT professionals in Ukraine do not intend to move abroad. Over the past year, their share has increased by 7 percentage points.
Who Wants to Leave
At the same time, about 40% of the surveyed professionals still intend to emigrate from Ukraine.
However, men’s and women’s emigration intentions differ significantly: 47% of men are considering leaving (compared to 48% who do not plan to move), while only 30% of women are considering it (70% do not intend to leave).
The younger the IT professionals are, the more likely they are to consider leaving: 46% of professionals under the age of 25 are considering leaving, compared to 35% of IT professionals aged 35 and older.
The Impact of Military Service Exemptions and Marital Status
Among men, a significant factor is whether they have a deferment or a postponement from mobilization.
Those without such exemptions are more likely to plan to emigrate—54% compared to 41% among those with exemptions or deferrals. Among those who are not currently subject to mobilization (75% of whom are young people under 25), 47% are considering moving abroad.
Married people (59% plan to stay) and professionals with children (60%) are also less likely to plan to leave.
Regional Breakdown
IT professionals from cities in the west and center of the country (Khmelnytskyi, Lviv, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk), as well as from Kharkiv, are most likely to reject the idea of emigration.
In contrast, about half of those surveyed from Kropyvnytskyi, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Dnipro, Poltava, Chernihiv, and Odesa are considering moving, noting that their decision will depend on the security situation.
Context and Implications for the Market
As a reminder, last year 48% of Ukrainian IT professionals wanted to leave Ukraine, while the same percentage planned to stay.
This is according to a survey by the industry portal DOU, in which 11,783 IT professionals in Ukraine participated.
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