An overwhelming majority of Ukrainians (at least 90%) support Ukraine’s independence, with only 1% believing Ukraine should unite with Russia; Independence Day is the most important holiday for 54% of Ukrainians, ranking behind only Christmas and Easter, while the traditionally popular New Year holiday has slipped to fifth place.
This is according to a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) over two periods, Jan. 9-14, 2026 and May 7-June 3, 2026.
"As of February 2013 (that is, almost a year before the Revolution of Dignity), an overwhelming majority of Ukrainians - 81% - supported Ukraine’s independence (16% sought unification with Russia). Now, the share of those who see Ukraine as independent (lower bound) stands at at least 90%, while the share of those seeking unification with Russia stands at 1%," KIIS said in a press release on its website on Thursday.
In addition, 8% currently have not made up their minds on the question. They may be wavering and "leaning" toward the camp opposed to independence, or they may be uncertain about the format of relations with Russia while still supporting independence.
"In our view, most of them are actually supporters of independence and are more likely wavering over what the configuration of relations with Russia should be [between an independent Ukraine and Russia]. So the actual level of support for independence is higher than the stated 90% and most likely stands at no less than 94-96%," the document said.
Regarding Independence Day, sociologists recorded a radical shift in citizens’ attitudes between 2013 and 2026. In 2013, the holiday was the most important or favorite for 12% of Ukrainians, compared with 54% in 2026. "In 2013, it was one of the least popular holidays [only Constitution Day was less popular], while now it’s one of the most popular holidays in Ukraine, trailing only the two main religious holidays," the press release said.
Another dimension of how independence is perceived is how important the holiday is seen relative to other public holidays. According to KIIS survey data, in 2026 most of Ukraine’s population (about 66-67%) name Christmas and Easter as the most important or favorite holidays, followed by Independence Day at 54% and Defenders of Ukraine Day at 53%.
"New Year, which is celebrated festively around the world and which for many years shared first place with Christmas and Easter, ranks only fifth in 2026 at 40%. Constitution Day, Trinity Sunday and International Women’s Day stand at 28%, 27% and 24%, respectively. The least popular holidays this year are Victory Day and Labor Day (May 1) - only 11% and 5% of Ukrainians celebrate these dates as favorite or important," the press release said.
Surveys conducted before February 2020 used face-to-face interviews, while later surveys used computer-assisted telephone interviews. In terms of geographic coverage, surveys included all Ukrainian territory until February 2014; after February 2014 they excluded temporarily occupied Crimea and parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. After February 2022, surveys have not included newly occupied territories. Each survey’s sample size ranged from 600 to 2,000 respondents (with a margin of error, at a 0.95 confidence level accounting for a design effect of 1.3, ranging from 5.3% to 2.9%).
For 2026, KIIS used the results of two surveys: one, in which respondents were asked about holidays, was conducted Jan. 9-14, 2026 (601 respondents in total); the second, in which respondents were asked about independence and the Soviet legacy, was conducted May 7-June 3, 2026 (1,000 respondents in total).
