Most Ukrainians Oppose Interference in the UOC’s Activities — Poll Results

More than half of Ukrainian citizens do not support interference in the internal affairs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This is evidenced by the results of a sociological study conducted by the SOCIS Center in June 2025. The survey data was published by the UOC’s Information and Education Department.

According to the results, 31.7% of respondents expressed clear opposition to any interference in the affairs of the UOC. Another nearly 23% refrained from answering the question regarding a possible merger of the Church with the OCU or its liquidation. In total, this amounts to 55% who do not support or approve of such actions by the state.

The survey also showed that 70.2% of Ukrainian citizens identify with the Orthodox faith. At the same time, only 35.2% of them identified as believers of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. For comparison, according to a 2024 KIIS poll, 56% of those who considered themselves Orthodox supported the OCU. Thus, its share has decreased by more than 20% over the year.

Meanwhile, the number of those who identify as believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church increased from 6% in 2024 to 18.3% in 2025. This means that support for the UOC grew by more than 12% in one year.

There was also a noticeable increase in the group identifying as “just Orthodox”: in 2025, this group made up 46.5%, compared to only 7% in 2024. This indicates a growing number of believers who do not associate themselves with any specific church structure.

The survey was conducted from June 6 to 11, 2025, using face-to-face interviews. It included 2,000 respondents aged 18 and older from all regions of Ukraine, excluding temporarily occupied territories and active combat zones.

It was previously reported that, according to a survey conducted by “Suspilne,” 45% of Ukrainians supported repealing the law that allows for the banning of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church if it would help bring the war in the country to an end.