LONDON — Gallup’s latest survey of Ukraine in July, the fourth since Russia’s invasion in late February 2022, reveals important shifts in how Ukrainians assess their own leaders and institutions, showing many areas of stability as well as persistent challenges.
Two-Thirds of Ukrainians Approve of Zelenskyy
In the months after the invasion, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s approval rating climbed to 84%, giving him one of the highest approval ratings of any world leader at the time. It stayed high in 2023 (81%), before falling significantly to 60% last year, in line with his initial rating upon coming to office in 2019.
In 2025, Zelenskyy’s approval rating has stabilized at 67%. While lower than the peak approval figure after the invasion, Zelenskyy retains the support of about two in three Ukrainians, significantly higher than any rating his predecessor, Petro Poroshenko, received.
Country More Split on Views of National Leadership
Support for Ukraine’s broader national leadership is substantially lower than that for the president. The 21-percentage-point gap between Zelenskyy’s approval rating (67%) and Ukraine’s leadership in general (46%) is among the largest seen globally on these metrics in the past few years.
While Ukrainians’ views of their national leadership have improved slightly since 2024 (when 41% approved), the percentage approving matches the percentage disapproving (46%) and is significantly lower than the early days of the war, returning to 2019 levels (47%) when Zelenskyy first took office.
Perceptions of Government Corruption Among Highest Worldwide
Many areas of domestic political public opinion have changed since the invasion, from leadership approval to confidence in institutions. Views toward corruption, however, have remained much more stable. In 2025, 85% believe corruption is widespread throughout Ukraine’s government, in line with the average from 2007 to 2024 (84%).
In the past decade, from 2014 to 2024, Ukraine frequently appeared in the list of top 10 countries globally for perceived government corruption.
In late July, shortly after Gallup concluded fieldwork, Ukraine saw nationwide protests after Zelenskyy proposed stripping two anti-corruption agencies of their independence, citing Russian influence. Zelenskyy backtracked on his proposals soon after the protests. Even so, the EU announced plans to withhold more than $1.7 billion in foreign aid to Ukraine in response.
Last year, a median of 68% of adults across EU member states said corruption was widespread throughout their government. While this is significantly lower than the level of perceived corruption in Ukraine, some member states — including Italy, Bulgaria and Cyprus — saw similarly high levels last year as Ukraine (all 83%).
Confidence in Elections, Government Stabilizes
Zooming out further, Ukrainians hold quite different views of different national institutions. For example, they retain almost universal confidence in the military, which has been at or above 90% since the war began — one of the highest percentages in the world.
Ukrainians are twice as likely to have faith in their national military as they are to have confidence in the honesty of their elections (42%). Confidence in electoral integrity increased sharply at the onset of full-scale war (to 58%), before dipping to 43% the following year and remaining stable ever since. Had Russia not invaded, Ukraine was set to hold elections in spring 2024, which had to be suspended as the country entered a period of martial law.
Confidence in the national government followed a similar trajectory, rising sharply to 60% after the invasion before falling back to 28% in 2024. But much like approval of Zelenskyy’s and Ukraine’s leadership in general, confidence in the national government has stabilized and inched up to 35% this year.
Attitudes toward Ukraine’s judicial system, which continues to receive the most public skepticism, have moved less than those toward other institutions in recent years. In 2025, 27% of Ukrainians have confidence in their judicial system — significantly less than they have in other institutions, but also higher than the figures seen in many years before the invasion.
Bottom Line
Public opinion in Ukraine has settled after the sharp fluctuations that followed Russia’s full-scale invasion. Zelenskyy remains popular, and the military retains overwhelming public trust. Yet, confidence in several national institutions remains below 50%, and perceptions of corruption persist at some of the highest levels in the world, underscoring ongoing domestic governance challenges even amid wartime resilience.
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For complete methodology and specific survey dates, please review Gallup's Country Data Set details. Learn more about how the Gallup World Poll works.
