The public opinion poll was conducted by Razumkov Centre Sociological Service on September 21-27, 2023 as a part of its project implemented under the USAID/ENGAGE activity, which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Pact. The contents of the Results are the sole responsibility of Pact and it’s implementing partners and do not necessary reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

Face-to-face interviews were held in Vinnytsia, Volyn, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Transcarpathian, Zaporizhia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Lviv, Mykolayiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sumy, Ternopil, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi regions and the city of Kyiv (in Zaporizhia, Mykolayiv, Kharkiv, Kherson regions — only in the territories controlled by the government of Ukraine, free of hostilities).

The poll was conducted using stratified multistage sampling with random selection at the initial stages of sampling and quota selection of respondents at the final stage (when respondents were selected on the basis of sex and age quotas). The sample structure reproduces the demographic structure of the adult population of the territories where the poll was conducted as of the beginning of 2022 (by age, sex, settlement type).

2016 respondents over the age of 18 were polled. The sample theoretical error does not exceed 2.3%. At the same time, additional systematic deviations of the sample may be caused by the consequences of Russian aggression, in particular, forced evacuation of millions of citizens.

Interest and competence in politics

Interest in politics, which was very high in 2004, when turbulent political processes related to the presidential elections and the Orange Revolution took place (at that time, 63% of respondents expressed interest in politics), gradually decreased in the following years (which can be considered a sign of growing political apathy in society), reaching a minimum level in 2012 (then, only 32% of respondents reported interest in politics). After the Revolution of Dignity, interest in political processes somewhat increased (in 2017, 38% of respondents were interested in it), and even more — in 2019 (the year of presidential and parliamentary elections) — the share of those interested in politics reached 54.5%.

In 2023 this indicator further increased to 62% (12% are very interested in politics, 50% are somewhat interested). On the other hand, 26% of respondents are rather not interested in politics, and 8.5% are not interested in it at all.

Compared with 2019, interest in politics increased more among women (from 49% to 59%) than among men (from 61% to 65%), but remains slightly higher among men than among women.

Interest in politics is also influenced by age and education. As in the previous years, the older the respondents are, the more they are interested in politics (for example, among those aged 18 to 29, 50% are interested in politics, while among those aged 60 and above — 67%).

Respondents with general secondary education are less interested in politics (54%) than respondents with vocational (61%) and higher education (67%). Residents of the Central regions (67%) are the most interested in politics, and residents of the Eastern regions (54%) are the least interested in it. The East is the only region where interest in politics, compared to 2019, did not statistically change (in other regions it increased).

Among the reasons for the lack of interest in politics, the respondents most often cited the sufficiency of their knowledge about it (31.5%), lack of time (24%) and the fact that it is difficult for people like them to understand politics (23%). For 15% of respondents, politics is too boring, and 12% do not care about it.

More than half of the respondents at least occasionally have problems with understanding Ukrainian politics. 33% of respondents answered that they often or very often feel their ignorance of it (in 2019, there were fewer of them — 26%), with 37% of respondents this happens from time to time (the same was the case in 2019). 26% of respondents answered that this happens rarely or never (in 2019 — 32%).

When asked how difficult it is for respondents to determine their position on political issues, almost half of the respondents (48%) chose the answer "sometimes it's difficult, sometimes it's easy". On the other hand, for 23% of respondents, it is "difficult or very difficult" to determine their position, and for 22%, on the contrary, it is "easy or very easy."

49.5% of respondents expressed a desire to better understand politics. 37% of respondents did not want it. Among those who answer that it is "easy" or "very easy" for them to determine their position on political issues, 52% would like to understand politics better, while among those who find it "difficult" or "very difficult" — only 44%. So, it may be assumed that the incompetence in politics is largely caused by the lack of interest in it.

The higher the level of education of respondents is, the more often they express a desire to better understand politics (their share increases from 41% among those with general secondary education to 55% among those with higher education).

The East is the only region where the share of those who would not like to understand politics better (48%) exceeds the share of those who would like to (41%).

Compared to 2019, the share of those who report that in most cases they use several sources of information about the same political event to compare different assessments of this event has significantly increased (from 21% to 32%), as did, from 16% to 23%, the share of those who do it often, while the share of those who do it rarely decreased from 31% to 27%, the share of those who never or almost never do it — from 26% to 13%. That is, we can speak about the growing desire to receive information from various sources, which certainly contributes to the growth of political competence.

Among those who always use different sources of information about the same political event, 19% answer that it is difficult for them to determine their position on political issues, while among those who never or almost never seek information from different sources they make a much bigger share — 39%.

While in 2019 television was the most popular source of information about politics, watched by 76% of respondents, in 2023 the share of those who reported getting political information from this source fell to 54%. Instead, social networks took the lead (61%), while in 2019, only 32% of respondents mentioned them as the main source of political information. The share of Internet publications remained unchanged (36%), 34% of respondents indicated messengers as the main source of information, 32% — their friends. The share of those who answered that they usually get information from expert blogs increased from 9% to 23%, from radio broadcasts — from 14% to 18%, from web pages of think tanks and scientific institutions — from 6% to 13%. The share of those who receive information from printed publications (newspapers, magazines) has not statistically changed (13.5% and 12%, respectively).

Social networks are more often used by representatives of younger and middle age groups (from 70 to 76%), against just 37% in the oldest age group (60 years and older). The same applies to messengers, Internet publications, web pages of think tanks, scientific institutions, expert blogs. The older the respondents are, the more often they use TV (their share increases from 28% in the youngest age group to 77% in the oldest one), radio (respectively, 9% and 28.5%), and printed media (6% and 17%).

In 2019 a relative majority (42%) of respondents reported that they get mainly negative information about political life in Ukraine from mass media. Another 30% called such information balanced, and 10% — mostly positive. In 2023 the share of respondents who answer that the information they receive is balanced has increased (up to 37%), as did the share of those who receive mostly positive information (up to 13%), while the share of those who receive mostly negative information has slightly decreased (up to 38.5%). So, now the shares of those who answer that they receive balanced and negative information do not statistically differ.

According to the majority of respondents, citizens do not have enough information to learn how to defend their rights and control the government (29% of respondents said "no", "rather, no" — 34.5%). More than a quarter of respondents have the opposite opinion ("yes" — 12%, "rather, yes" — 17%). Over the four years (since 2019), the situation in this area has practically not changed.

The higher the educational level of the respondents is, the more often they give affirmative answers to this question (from 23% among those with general secondary education to 33% among respondents with higher education).

In 2023, compared to 2019, the number of citizens who did not read the Constitution of Ukraine (or did not even read about its content in mass media) decreased (from 43% to 32%), mainly because the share of those who answered that they had read some sections of the Constitution increased (from 32% to 39%). The share of those who read the Constitution in full did not statistically change (11% and 13%, respectively), and the share of those who read about the Constitution in mass media did not change much (10.5% and 13%).

Respondents were asked to what extent, in their opinion, specific social institutions (or entities) want citizens to know more about politics. Among those interested, mass media (50.5%) and public organizations (50%) were mentioned the most often, less often — central authorities (25%), local authorities (24%), trade unions (24%), politicians (23%), political parties (23%), and least of all — oligarchs (8%). If we compare these answers with those given in 2019, respondents rated the interest of most institutes and actors (except trade unions) higher in 2023.

Social and political activity

The share of those who reported involvement in active public life has increased, compared to 2019, from 10% to 18%. Involvement in public activities increases significantly with the level of education of the respondents — from 10% among those with general secondary education to 25% among those with higher education. Residents of villages indicate their involvement in public activities more often than city residents (23% and 15%, respectively), people with high incomes — more often than people with low incomes (11% among those who "hardly make ends meet”, and 20% among those who “do well”).

The share of those who expressed readiness to unite with other citizens in public organizations to defend their rights and interests, compared to 2019, increased from 30% to 44%. Readiness for this was expressed by 84% of those who are already involved in public activity, and 34% of those who are not involved in it (which may indicate the potential for civic activity growth). Those respondents who answered that they would like to understand politics better, more often expressed their readiness to unite with other citizens than those who did not express such a desire (59% and 28%, respectively).

Among men, the share of those ready to join public organizations is slightly higher than among women (46% vs 41.5%). Readiness for such a union is less pronounced in the oldest age group (35%; in other age groups — from 45% to 49%). It was reported more often by residents of the Western and Central regions (respectively, 45.5% and 46%) than in the Southern and Eastern regions (respectively, 38% and 39%), by villagers — more often than by citizens (51% and 40%, respectively). People with high incomes are more likely to do this than those with low incomes (40% of those who answer that they "hardly make ends meet" and 50% of those who answer that they "do well"); more often — with a higher level of education (from 33% among those with general secondary education to 50% among those with higher education).

50% of respondents reported that they almost always participate in elections that take place in the country (national or local), another 30.5% answered that they try to participate, 10.5% usually do not participate, 5% almost never participate in them.

Citizens who answer that it is easy for them to determine their position on political issues more often than those who answer that it is difficult for them to do this usually participate in elections (61% and 44%, respectively). Similarly, those ready to unite with other citizens in public organizations to protect their rights and interests more often go to the polls, compared to those who do not express such readiness (54% and 45%, respectively).

Women more often than men answer that they almost always participate in elections (54% and 46%, respectively); the younger the respondents are, the less often they go to the polls (their share decreases from 62% among those who are 60 and older to 29% among those under 30). The share of those who always participate in elections is lower in the East (44%) than in other regions (from 49% to 54%). The higher the level of education of the respondents is, the more often they answer that they almost always to the polls (from 47% among respondents with general secondary education to 54% among those with higher education).

Assessment of political education and citizens' need for it

According to the vast majority of respondents, all citizens of Ukraine should have the necessary minimum knowledge about the political system and politics in general in order to effectively use their constitutional rights and freedoms, and state-guaranteed opportunities to obtain this knowledge (82% of respondents answered "yes" or "rather, yes", which is 4% more than in 2019). Only 11% of respondents are of the opposite opinion.

Those who are involved in public activities more tend to agree with this judgment than those who are not involved in it (62% and 43%, respectively), as do those who expressed readiness to unite with other citizens in public organizations to protect their rights and interests, compared to those who did not report such readiness (58% and 35%, respectively), those who want to understand politics better than those who do not express such a desire (57% and 36%, respectively).

The majority (66%) of respondents believe that there is no integral system of political education in Ukraine, encompassing the adult population as well (in 2019, 63% of respondents thought so). 17% of respondents stick to the opposite opinion (the same as in 2019).

In 2019, only 19% of respondents expressed readiness to participate in free political education programs for citizens. In 2023 their share reached 31%. Another 22% chose the answer "maybe, not sure" (24% in 2019). 36% are not ready to participate in such programs, which is less than in 2019 (then, they made 45%).

The situation seems somewhat paradoxical, when those citizens who answer that it is easy for them to determine their position on political issues more often than those who answer that it is difficult for them to determine it expressed readiness to participate in free programs of political education for citizens (respectively, 36 % and 25.5%). This, however, confirms that there is a need for training in certain fields for those who have an interest in those fields: among those who would like to better understand politics, 45% expressed readiness to participate in such programs, among those who do not want to understand politics better — only 15.5%.

The higher the educational level of the respondents is, the more often they express their readiness to participate in free political education programs for citizens (from 22% among those with general secondary education to 37% among those with higher education). Representatives of the oldest age group are less likely (23%) than representatives of other age groups (from 30% to 36%) to express such readiness.

Among those respondents who are not ready to participate in free programs of political education for citizens, 39% justify it by the lack of time, 30% frankly answered that they did not need it, and another 21% say that they have no desire to do this. That is, the main reason for refusal to participate in political education programs for the majority is the lack of motivation, not of opportunities.

Those who may be ready to participate in free political education programs but are not sure of their intentions are less likely to say that they do not need to participate in such programs (8%) or that they do not want to participate in such programs (13%), but more often refer to the lack of time (44%).

The vast majority (75%) of those polled agreed that in the present conditions in Ukraine, military-patriotic education should be a mandatory component of civic education. 74% of respondents agreed that veterans of the war against the Russian aggressor should be involved in the organization and implementation of civic education programs, projects and events.

SURVEY RESULTS IN TABLES

(data in the tables are given in percentages)

Please tell me how interested you are in politics?

If you are not interested, why? (A respondent could choose several answers), % of those who are not interested in politics

How often do you feel like not realising Ukrainian politics?

How difficult it is for you to determine your position on political issues?

Would you like to understand politics better?

How often do you try to obtain information about a political event from different sources, to compare different assessments of the same event?

What sources of information about political life do you usually use? (A respondent could choose several answers)

What kind of information do you usually obtain about political life in Ukraine from mass media?

Do you think that citizens have enough information to learn to defend their rights and control the government?

Have you ever read the Constitution of Ukraine?

How interested do you think the following social institutions are in citizens knowing more about politics?

Can you say that you are actively involved in public life?

Are you ready to unite with other citizens in public organizations to defend your rights and interests?

Do you normally take part in elections taking place in the country (national, local)?

Do you think that all citizens of Ukraine should have the necessary minimum knowledge about the political system and politics in general in order to effectively use their constitutional rights and freedoms, and state-guaranteed opportunities to obtain this knowledge?

Do you think that there is an integral system of political education in Ukraine, encompassing the adult population as well?

Are you ready to participate in free political education programs for citizens?

If not, why? (2023)

Do you agree that in the present conditions in Ukraine, military-patriotic education should be a mandatory component of civic education? (2023)

Do you agree that veterans of the war against the Russian aggressor should be involved in the organization and implementation of civic education programs, projects and events? (2023)

https://razumkov.org.ua/napriamky/sotsiologichni-doslidzhennia/gromadiany-i-polityka-interes-do-polityky-gromadianska-aktyvnist-politychna-osvita-veresen-2023r