Ukraine’s citizens are showing more economic optimism, but remain concerned over corruption, according to a nationwide poll by the International Republican Institute’s (IRI) Center for Insights in Survey Research:
Twenty-three out of 24 cities believe that the economic situation in Ukraine has improved over the past 12 months. Additionally, in all 24 cities surveyed, citizens reported improvements in the economic situation of their households.
Whereas a clear majority of citizens feel that Ukraine as a country is headed in the wrong direction, rates of satisfaction with local government are far higher. For example, in the city of Vinnytsia, 65 percent of respondents say that their city is headed in the right direction, while 57 percent believe that Ukraine is going in the wrong direction.
“As the fourth ‘megapoll’ in our series, this data demonstrates a clear trend of optimism in Ukraine’s cities, both on the economic front and within the cities themselves,” said IRI Regional Director Stephen Nix. “This demonstrates that commitment to reforms such as decentralization are having a positive impact on the country, and represent an important development in Ukraine’s democratic journey.”
The survey was funded by the National Endowment for Democracy.
