Ukrainians consider corruption in government structures to be the main threat to the country’s stability and security: survey results
The topic of corruption in Ukraine does not disappear from the agenda, but on the contrary, it gains even greater public resonance. Ukrainians, who daily face threats of war, losses, forced emigration and social burden, are increasingly aware that the internal erosion of statehood due to corruption is no less dangerous than missiles and drones. Public tolerance for abuse of power is decreasing, and the demand for transparency and justice sounds more acute than ever. This is exactly the result demonstrates a survey by the Socis center conducted in June 2025: more than half of Ukrainians surveyed called corruption the main internal threat to the country.
Corruption as the main destabilizing factor: numbers and comparison
According to the survey, 48.5% of respondents consider corruption in power structures to be the main threat to the country’s stability and security. This estimate exceeded even mentions of Russia’s armed aggression (41.7%) and economic decline in the standard of living (41.1%). Importantly, among the answer options were also loss of territories (34.9%), mobilization policy (26.4%) and power outages (3.1%) — all these factors were less significant in the eyes of citizens than systemic corruption.
Photo: socis.kiev.ua
Researchers believe that such evaluations indicate the sharpening of the perception of corruption not as a side problem, but as a direct threat to the very existence of the state, which sounds especially telling in the conditions of war. It is emphasized that Ukrainians increasingly equate corruption with internal betrayal, which is no less dangerous than an external enemy.
Degree of corruption: how citizens see the extent of the problem
Sociological assessments of the general level of corruption indicate deep disappointment and distrust of institutions. 44.2% of respondents called the level of corruption “very high”, another 38.4% – simply “high”. Thus, more than 82% of citizens believe that the problem has acquired a large-scale and systemic nature. At the same time, only 1% of respondents agreed that the level of corruption in Ukraine is low.
Experts in political sociology point out that such an assessment is not only an indicator of loss of trust in the state, but also a sign of moral frustration: in conditions of war, when society daily demonstrates stability, sacrifice and mutual aid, any manifestation of corruption is perceived not as an “ordinary” violation, but as a moral crime against solidarity and survival.
Those responsible for corruption: public opinion is clearly structured
A separate block of research concerned the perception of the sources and bearers of responsibility for corruption. The answers were multi-layered, but generally distributed as follows:
55.1% — consider the government responsible in general,
40.3% indicate anti-corruption bodies,
31.2% — name the president,
31% — consider society itself to be responsible,
25.4% mention the Verkhovna Rada,
20.7% blame the government.
Photo: socis.kiev.ua
Analysts interpret such results as a high level of critical thinking, since the respondents are not limited to blaming only the abstract “authority”, but single out specific institutions, including those that were supposed to combat corruption, but did not live up to expectations. The presence of the responsibility imposed on society also indicates a partial awareness of shared guilt, albeit to a lesser extent.
Previous studies focusing on the form of preferred punishments for corruption have shown a clear demand for real terms of imprisonment, confiscation of property and public accountability. These sentiments persist and intensify in 2025, which, according to political scientists, is a reaction to the lack of systemic accountability for corruption crimes even in a critical period for the country.
Household and state corruption: a clear distinction
Another important result of the survey was a clear distinction between domestic and systemic corruption. Only 14.4% of respondents indicated domestic corruption (in hospitals, schools, local self-government bodies) as the main threat. Researchers believe that this indicates a shift in the focus of attention from small household practices to the upper echelon of government, where citizens see the main source of corruption pressure.
According to experts, this also indicates a gap between the personal behavior of citizens and their expectations from the state: people are ready to be more tolerant of everyday practices in a crisis, but do not accept the enrichment of those in power during war.
In 2025, in the conditions of a protracted war, society increasingly clearly formulates a demand not only for victory, but also for justice as the internal basis of statehood. The Socis study shows that for millions of Ukrainians, corruption has become a personal trauma that hinders trust, cohesion and faith in the future.
