What motivates women to stay in Ukraine?

The research is conducted by the Centre for Economic Strategy and the Institute for Behavioural Studies at American University Kyiv as part of the demographic resilience project of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, initiated by UNFPA, UN Population Fund in Ukraine, and supported by the UK government together with the NGO “UA Experts”.

Ukrainian women want to stay in Ukraine

Most women currently living in Ukraine want to stay — both in the country and in their own city or village.

For 79% of Ukrainian women, staying in Ukraine is important, and for 72%, it’s important to stay in their local area.

Almost half of the respondents described this as critically important: 45% in relation to Ukraine, and 40% in relation to their specific place of residence.

Only 6% said that being in Ukraine doesn’t matter to them, and 11% said the same about staying in their local area.

The intention to stay in Ukraine is clearly linked to financial status: the better the situation, the more women want to stay.

Among those who cannot afford even basic food, 66% consider it important to stay in Ukraine. In the wealthiest group, that number rises to 85%.

A similar pattern is seen when it comes to staying in one’s own city or village.

Family is the main reason for staying

The main reason women stay in Ukraine is the desire to be with their families — 91% of respondents chose this motivation.

The second most common reason is a sense of patriotism: 88% said they stay because it’s their country.

Among material factors, the most important is having a place to live (72%). Fewer women stay because of a good job (46%) or because they believe the quality of life in Ukraine is better than abroad (47%).

Meanwhile, 20% of women said they would like to leave the country but don’t have the opportunity.

Although all respondents currently live in Ukraine, only 39% cited safety as a reason to stay. Most do not feel the country is safe.

Fewer than one in six Ukrainian women are considering leaving the country for a long time

Most women currently living in Ukraine are not planning to leave the country for an extended period. 72% are not considering this option, with 55% firmly opposed to it. Only 15% are seriously or somewhat thinking about leaving, while 13% remain undecided.

Age has a significant impact on migration intentions.

Young women (aged 18–29) are 1.5 times more likely to consider leaving — 26% compared to just 6% among women aged 50–60.

Marital status also matters. Among unmarried women, 22–24% are considering migration — twice as many as among married or widowed women (11%).

Divorced women are also more likely to think about leaving — 16%.

Interestingly, neither having children nor the number of children or adults in the household has a significant effect on migration intentions.

Displacement experience influences migration intentions.

Women who have previously gone abroad and returned are 14 percentage points more likely to consider leaving again, compared to those who haven’t left their homes since February 2022.

If a woman has experienced both international and internal displacement, her interest in leaving increases even more:
– by 20 percentage points if she has already returned home
– by 4 percentage points if she is currently internally displaced

At the same time, internal displacement alone does not significantly affect the intention to migrate abroad.

There are also no major differences in migration intentions among women from frontline or occupied areas, or among those whose homes have been destroyed.

The main reasons for emigration are the pursuit of financial stability and safety

In the difficult conditions of war, women most often consider emigration due to the need for safety (73%) and the desire for a better quality of life (75%).

Over 65% believe they would find better jobs abroad, and 62% expect access to social protection and housing support.

Financial stability is the key motivation to leave, while safety is the main trigger for action. Everyday hardships, such as power outages, also matter (53%), though to a lesser extent.

63% of women believe their children would have better opportunities for development abroad. Education—both for themselves and their children—is another common driver.

Housing problems (38%) and the desire to reunite with family (24%) have less influence. For most women, migration is a personal rather than a family decision.

Some women don’t even consider emigration due to certain limitations

The main barriers to going abroad can be roughly grouped into three types: psychological, material, and social.

Psychological barriers include fear of change and uncertainty about the future. Material ones relate to expected difficulties in finding housing and employment. Both have a strong impact on migration intentions.

Social factors—such as feelings of guilt or fear of judgment—play the smallest role in the decision to leave.