48% of IT professionals want to emigrate from Ukraine, 37% of those who left will not return, — survey

Resource DOU once again conducted a summer salary survey, but this time paid special attention to the issue of emigration. Will Ukrainian IT professionals really leave en masse when the borders are opened? The results showed that everything is not so clear, and this decision is influenced by a number of reasons.

In general, the share of people thinking about moving is roughly the same as the share of those who do not consider this option at all. At the same time, men are more likely to plan to move than women. Those who have reservations or deferments from service are more likely to stay at home. Residents of the East and South have the highest number of plans to move. The main reasons for leaving are distrust of the authorities and a sense of insecurity.

At the same time, almost half of IT professionals who have already gone abroad have not yet decided whether to return. Men over the age of 25 and those with good earnings are less likely to want to return.

Who thinks about emigration and how

Over the year, sentiment about leaving Ukraine has hardly changed: 48% of IT professionals are thinking about moving (in 2024 it was 51%). Among them:

• 2% are preparing to leave in the near future;
• 12% will leave as soon as the borders are opened;
• 26% just think, but do nothing;
• 8% want to live abroad and then return.

The same share — 48% — does not plan to leave. 14% are definitely staying, 27% have no such plans, but they are not considering leaving. Another 7% have already returned from abroad.

Men and women

There are significant differences in emigration plans between men and women:

• Among men, 16% are actively planning to leave, while among women only 5% are.
• They think, but do not do anything yet: 29% of men and 19% of women.
• However, more women returned – 14% compared to 3% of men.
• Not going to leave: 49% of women and 38% of men.

Age and income

Young people are more eager for change. Under the age of 25, 53% of respondents want to go abroad, while among older respondents, the figure is —45%. There are also more young people among those who want to try life abroad and then return (13% vs. the average of 8% among all respondents).

Income does not greatly affect the desire to leave. Except that among women with an income of over $5000, there are slightly more of those who want to leave in the near future (10% vs. 5%). Men do not have such dependencies.

For men, the main thing is whether they have a reservation from the army. If not, they are more likely to think about leaving. Those who have already served are the least likely to emigrate (31%).

Where they live and what they plan to do

In the west of the country, people want to emigrate less often. In Lviv, Ternopil, Rivne, Chernivtsi, Lutsk, and Khmelnytskyi, less than 12% of IT professionals are actively planning to leave.

In the East and South, the situation is different: in Dnipro, Odesa, Poltava, Sumy, and Mykolaiv, 15-20% are actively preparing to leave.

There are exceptions. In Kharkiv, the number of people willing to leave is the same as in Lviv (44%). Perhaps those who wanted to leave have already done so. But in Uzhhorod, 20% plan to leave when the borders are opened. This is one of the highest figures. Probably, some of those who moved to Zakarpattia are now planning the next step — abroad.

Do those who have already left return?

The situation with returning to Ukraine is different. Almost half (42%) have not yet decided. 37% definitely do not want to return. 20% plan to return. Over the year, the number of those who are still thinking has increased (42% vs. 32%), and the share of those who do not plan to return has decreased (37% vs. 45%).

Women are a little more likely to plan to return, men — to stay. There are also more young people among those who want to return or are undecided. But among the elderly, there are more people who want to stay.

Interestingly, finances play a bigger role here. Those who spend more than they earn are more likely to want to return (24% vs. 20%). On the contrary, those who have money to spare are more likely to stay (39% vs. 35%).

The country of residence also has an impact. Those who live in Hungary (42%), Croatia (37%), and Romania (36%) have the most plans to return. However, those from Canada (8%) and the United States (10%) are the least likely to return. In Europe, the lowest rates are recorded in Cyprus (4%), the Czech Republic and Portugal (9%), Germany (13%), and Spain (15%).

Why they leave

The main reasons for leaving Ukraine are quite obvious — the war and the search for safety. This was stated by 65% of those who want to leave Ukraine and 67% of those who are already abroad and do not plan to return.

For men, the fear of mobilization is also in the first place (71%). For women, stress (68%) and a safe life (64%) are more important. Many also speak of distrust in the government and the state (69% of those still in Ukraine and 56% of those abroad).

Young people under 25 are more likely to want to leave for other reasons: curiosity about the world (52%), new opportunities (39%), better infrastructure and social guarantees (35%), and higher salaries (34%).

Why they stay

The most important reason for staying in Ukraine is family. This motive was mentioned by 68% of those who stayed and 62% of those who are abroad but are thinking of returning. Another important reason for staying is faith in Ukraine and the desire to participate in its reconstruction (65% and 54%).

Adaptation also plays an important role. 72% of those who want to return miss their life in Ukraine — language, culture, familiar environment. 42% do not feel “at home” abroad. 58% say that they did not initially plan to stay, but perceived the evacuation as a temporary solution.

Those who do not want to leave at all have similar arguments. 46% are not ready to start from scratch. 39% believe that services in Ukraine are better. 32% do not feel comfortable in another country. And 37% are simply satisfied with what they have here.