Two-thirds of Ukrainians consider themselves believers - Razumkov Center study
Today, a meeting of the permanent round table "Religion and power in Ukraine: problems of relations" is held in Kyiv, which is organized by the Razumkov Center and the Representation of Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Ukraine. The theme of this meeting: "State and Church in Ukraine-2019: results of the year and prospects for the development of relations.
The focus of attention is a large-scale sociological study conducted by the Razumkov Foundation.
The number of those who recognize themselves as believers is 66% for 2019, which corresponds to the pre-war level of religiosity of 2013 (67%), - representative of the Foundation Mikhail Mishchenko introduced the results of the study. The atheists continue to represent the lowest percentage - up to 4%, while unbelievers and indifferent to religion constitute 5-7%.
The highest number of believers is in the West of Ukraine – 81%, the lowest - in the South and East of Ukraine - 52-53%.
The Razumkov Foundation records a decrease in the percentage of believers in the West of Ukraine over the last year – in 2014-2018. Then the figure reached 90%, now, respectively, it is only 81%, which is the lowest figure in all the years of study since 2000. Also in the Center of Ukraine, the percentage of believers decreased from 82% in 2014 to 70% in 2017-2019.
But in the South and East of Ukraine, the recorded indexes are unstable. In 2014, there was no surge of religiosity, as it was in the West or the Center of Ukraine. In the East, in the following years, there was alternately an increase or decrease in religiosity, and a significant drop in 2019 - up to 52.7%. In the South, there was some stability in previous years, but over the past two years there has been a fall - from 65% in 2013-2016 to 51.9 in 2019.
