KYIV, Dec 22 – Almost half of Ukrainians called the coronavirus epidemic and 12% the war in Donbas a negative "event of the year," Ukrainians' expectations of 2021 in the socio-economic situation are also negative.

According to a survey conducted by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation, 43% of respondents called the COVID-19 epidemic the "event of the year", and 99.4% indicated that it was negative.

Almost the only positive event of the outgoing year, the respondents named the construction of roads as part of the "Big Construction" program - 11.3% of respondents consider this an event of the year, and 93.0% indicate that this is a positive event, while 4.8% consider road construction as a negative event.

Some 12% of Ukrainians called the war in Donbas a negative event of the outgoing year, 5.6% - an increase in prices for medical supplies and tariffs.

The world events of the outgoing year in the perception of Ukrainians are also mostly negative due to the outbreak of an epidemic in China, civil protests in Belarus, and the global economic crisis.

As for the expectations of Ukrainians from 2021, then, as evidenced by the survey data, they are also predominantly negative. In the context of the socio-economic situation, only 15% of respondents believe that the hryvnia will become more stable, 25% expect an increase in well-being.

As for the fight against the pandemic, the opinions of the Ukrainians are divided. According to the survey, 45% of Ukrainians believe that the epidemic will end next year, while 46% do not think so.

Some 28% are convinced that there will be no restoration of peace in Donbas in 2021, which most likely will not happen - 41% of respondents.

Ukrainians also do not believe in overcoming corruption next year: 52% believe that this will definitely not happen, and 33% think that this will not happen most likely.

At the same time, as the poll showed, Ukrainians tend to believe in personnel changes in the authorities in the new year: 25% of respondents believe that early presidential elections are possible, 33% of respondents admit the possibility of early elections to the Verkhovna Rada, and 39% believe government changes are likely to happen next year.

A nationwide survey was conducted by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation in conjunction with the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) from December 5 to December 13, 2020 in all regions of Ukraine with the exception of Crimea and the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Some 2,004 respondents were interviewed by the method of personal interview, the sampling error does not exceed 3.3%. (om/ez)