80% of Ukrainians consider the environment to be an important issue, despite the war and economic hardships, according to a study

Despite the security challenges posed by the full-scale war and economic instability, 80% of Ukrainians recognize the importance of environmental issues. Citizens demonstrate a high level of personal responsibility, but note that addressing systemic issues requires the active involvement of government and business. This is evidenced by the results of a Gradus survey conducted ahead of World Environment Day.

Security and economic challenges outweigh environmental ones

Today, the war and the associated security risks remain the main source of concern for Ukrainians—85% of respondents cited them. Economic instability and corruption also made it into the top three most pressing issues.

Environmental issues ranked second to last on this list: only 16% of respondents cited them as among the most pressing challenges. At the same time, outside the context of daily threats, 80% of Ukrainians recognize the importance of environmental protection.

Environmental awareness and everyday practices

Respondents with a high level of environmental awareness incorporate twice as many beneficial eco-friendly habits into their daily lives—an average of 8 practices out of 18 possible (compared to 4 practices among less engaged citizens).

Among the most common environmental actions taken by Ukrainians are: using energy-efficient light bulbs and household appliances—62%, conserving water—49%, and sorting waste—41%.

However, only 10% of respondents participate directly in community environmental initiatives or volunteer work. More than half of respondents cite the lack of convenient infrastructure and conditions as the main deterrent.

The Call for a New Social Contract: Readiness for Funding and Strict Regulation

Nearly three-quarters of Ukrainians surveyed (74%) feel personally responsible for the state of the environment. At the same time, 88% of respondents believe that responsibility for the environmental situation should be shared by the government, society, and business.

Half of those surveyed (50%) say they are willing to pay extra for waste sorting and collection services.

Ukrainians expect the development of recycling and stricter controls

Among potential government initiatives, investments in the waste recycling sector and stricter penalties for violations of environmental standards received the most support—more than half of respondents support these measures.

In addition, over 40% of respondents approve of introducing mandatory waste sorting for households, stricter environmental standards for businesses, and financial incentives for citizens who engage in environmentally responsible behavior.

Although safety is the top priority for 85% of Ukrainians surveyed, environmental protection has become a deeply held personal value—80% of citizens recognize its importance, and half of them are willing to pay extra out of pocket for waste sorting. However, individual efforts are not enough: over 50% of respondents expect the government to invest in recycling and to increase fines for environmental violations,

— notes sociologist, founder, and CEO of Gradus Yevheniia Blyzniuk.

The full research report is available on the Gradus website at this link.

The study was conducted by the research company Gradus using a self-administered questionnaire in the Gradus mobile app. The sample reflects the demographic structure of cities with populations exceeding 50,000, aged 18–60, by gender, age, city size, and region, excluding temporarily occupied territories and areas of active hostilities. Fieldwork period: May 27–28, 2026. Sample size: 1,000 respondents.