On the eve of Easter, Gradus Research conducted a survey to find out how the religious beliefs and holiday habits of Ukrainians are transforming in the fourth year of full-scale war. The results show both a gradual shift in religious self-identification and the growing role of personal, home-based celebrations.

OCU leads among denominations

The largest share of Ukrainians currently identify with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (Metropolitan Epiphanius) — 29%. In 2023, the level of self-identification with the OCU stood at 32%. Nevertheless, the OCU remains the leading denomination this year, continuing to serve as a spiritual support for a significant portion of the population.

In second place are Orthodox Christians without a clear affiliation to a specific denomination — 24%. This may indicate either uncertainty among some believers or a desire to maintain faith outside of institutional frameworks.

Eight percent identify with the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, while another 8% align with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the moscow patriarchate — the same level as in 2023 (7%).

The proportion of Ukrainians who do not affiliate with any religion (atheists, agnostics) remains stable: 15% in 2025 compared to 14% in 2023.

Easter as a tradition — despite the war

Even amid prolonged hostilities, Ukrainians continue to uphold the tradition of celebrating Easter. The vast majority of respondents (90%) said they plan to celebrate the holiday — either in a religious or cultural sense.

Regarding church attendance during Easter week, more than 51% of respondents had already made up their minds: most plan to attend on Sunday, though some intend to visit on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. Twenty percent of respondents said it was difficult to answer or that they hadn’t decided yet.

In contrast, 29% said they do not plan to attend church — a significant decrease compared to 2023 (40%). This shift likely reflects Ukrainians’ desire to live life to the fullest despite the war.

“The change in religious identity is especially noticeable against the backdrop of the political and wartime context. The growing share of those who move from the UOC-MP to the OCU, or choose to be 'non-denominational,' points to deep societal transformations. Faith, unlike institutions, remains important — but Ukrainians are increasingly seeking new ways to express it. Especially among young people, spirituality is more often seen as a private matter. This doesn’t always mean a rejection of faith, but it clearly indicates new forms that aren’t necessarily tied to institutional churches,” — comments Evgeniya Blyzniuk, founder and CEO of Gradus Research.

The survey was conducted by Gradus Research using self-administered questionnaires via the Gradus mobile application. The sample represents the structure of the urban population (in cities with over 50,000 residents), aged 18–60, by gender, age, settlement size, and region — excluding temporarily occupied territories and areas of active hostilities. Fieldwork periods: Wave 1: April 13–14, 2023 Wave 2: April 11–14, 2025. Sample size: Wave 1: 1,330 respondents Wave 2: 1,000 respondents.