An overwhelming majority of Ukrainians (75.2%) believe that the level of corruption in the country has increased during the full-scale invasion, according to a survey by the research company Sociopolis conducted between September 16 and September 21, 2026.
According to 16.1% of respondents, the level of corruption has remained unchanged, while only 3.5% believe it has decreased. Another 5.2% of those surveyed were undecided.
Some 59% of respondents associate the high level of corruption with the President of Ukraine and his inner circle (the Office of the President); 54.7% with the Verkhovna Rada and Members of Parliament; and 48.2% with the law enforcement and judicial systems. Respondents less frequently associate high corruption levels with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (38.9%), oligarchs and big business (37%), specific agencies—particularly the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Energy (34.4%)—and local self-government bodies (34.3%).
According to the press service of the research company Sociopolis, there is no prevailing view among Ukrainians regarding whether a static or rising level of corruption should influence the decision to hold elections. Some 40% of respondents believe elections should be held only after the war ends. At the same time, 31.8% believe that elections should be held even if corruption continues to rise. According to 24.4% of respondents, the level of corruption should have no bearing on the decision of whether to hold elections.
The press service of the research firm Sociopolis reports that more than half of those surveyed (53.6%) believe that, provided hostilities actually cease and elections are scheduled, the presidential and parliamentary elections should be held simultaneously. Meanwhile, 22.2% of respondents believe the presidential election should take place first, while 19% favor holding the election for Verkhovna Rada deputies first.
The survey was conducted via telephone interviews (CATI) using a random sample of mobile phone numbers among 1,002 residents of government-controlled areas of Ukraine aged 18 and older. The theoretical statistical margin of error for the proportion of a given attribute—calculated with a confidence level of 0.95 and excluding the design effect—does not exceed 3.1% for figures close to 50%, and 1.4% for figures close to 5% or 95%.
