*The full survey report is available for download via the form below.

Ahead of the International Day of Families, Gradus surveyed Ukrainians to explore how they perceive family today, how they assess the quality of family relationships, and what factors most influence satisfaction with family life. The findings reveal a high level of cohesion within families, although perceptions of family relationships differ significantly across generations. Older respondents are much more likely to speak about emotional closeness, mutual support, and the ability to overcome difficulties constructively, while younger people tend to evaluate the family atmosphere more critically and more often point to communication issues or tensions around the distribution of roles.

Family remains an important value

Although the International Day of Families is not yet widely celebrated, it carries greater significance for certain age groups. Overall, nearly 14% of Ukrainians celebrate it, while among people aged 25–34 the share rises to 20%. Within the same age group, 23% name strengthening family relationships among their main life priorities. This is unsurprising, as young adults are often at the stage of building their own families, planning parenthood, and raising children, making family-related issues especially relevant to them.

Perceptions of what constitutes a “real” family in Ukraine remain fairly traditional. Most often, respondents associate it with a married couple in a registered marriage, a couple with children, or several generations living together.

Young people assess family relationships far more critically

The average level of family satisfaction among surveyed Ukrainians stands at 5.3 out of 7.

The most noticeable differences concern the emotional quality of relationships. A sense of closeness between family members is reported by 83% of Ukrainians aged 55–60, compared to only 62% among respondents aged 18–24.

A similar pattern appears in perceptions of adaptability: 70% of older respondents believe their family can flexibly adjust its routines, roles, and rules in response to changing circumstances, while among the youngest respondents only 53% share this view.

Young people are also more likely to report communication difficulties. While only 8% of respondents aged 55–60 say they struggle to discuss difficult topics and express emotions openly, this figure rises to 21% among respondents aged 18–24. The ability to resolve conflicts constructively without long-term negative consequences is reported by 70% of older respondents and only about half of the youngest age group.

The possibility of being oneself within the family without fear of criticism or judgment is noted by 84% of respondents aged 55–60, compared to 63% among young people. Shared values and similar outlooks on life are reported by 78% of older Ukrainians and only 60% of younger respondents.

Women are more likely to be dissatisfied with the distribution of household roles

Men more often than women say that family members help each other (83% vs. 75%). The age gap is even more pronounced: 87% of older respondents confirm this, compared to 67% among young people.

A fair distribution of household responsibilities is reported by 74% of men and 63% of women. Older generations are most likely to consider the division of responsibilities fair (77%), while younger respondents are least likely to agree (57%).

The financial situation of their family is considered stable by 46% of men and 38% of women. Respondents aged 25–34 feel the most confident financially, with nearly half describing their family’s financial situation as stable.

War remains the main external source of tension

Regardless of age or gender, Ukrainians are almost unanimous in speaking about the negative impact of external crises on family life.

62% of respondents say that the war, economic instability, and uncertainty about the future negatively affect the atmosphere within their families.

At the same time, the study shows that satisfaction with family life is linked less to financial factors and far more to the quality of interaction between family members — including mutual support, shared values, the ability to be oneself without fear of judgment, and the capacity to resolve conflicts constructively.

“It is telling that the differences in how men and women perceive family relationships are much smaller than the differences between generations. The contrast between younger and older respondents primarily reflects different life experiences and changing approaches to relationships. Older generations have already lived through multiple personal and external crises, while young people are only entering adulthood and learning how to build partnerships and balance autonomy with emotional closeness against the backdrop of wartime challenges. At the same time, younger generations have higher expectations regarding emotional comfort, personal boundaries, and a fair distribution of roles within the family, which is why they evaluate the quality of family interactions more critically,” comments Evgeniya Blyznyuk, sociologist, CEO and Founder of Gradus.

The survey was conducted by Gradus using a self-administered questionnaire in the Gradus mobile application. The sample reflects the structure of the population of Ukrainian cities with more than 50,000 residents aged 18–60 by gender, age, settlement size, and region, excluding temporarily occupied territories and areas of active hostilities. Fieldwork took place on May 6–7, 2026. Sample size: 1,000 respondents.

*The full survey report is available for download via the form below.