Popularity of March 8 in Ukraine has fallen by more than half over the past 8 years - survey
Kyiv • UNN
According to a survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KMIS), only 23% of Ukrainians consider March 8 to be their favorite holiday, compared to 49% in 2017. The most popular holidays remain Christmas and Easter, which are celebrated by about 70% of the population.
The popularity of International Women's Day on March 8 among Ukrainians has been decreasing in recent years. Currently, this holiday is a favorite for 23% of respondents, down from 49% in 2017. This is stated in the results of a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) from February 4-9, as reported by UNN.
Details
"Attitudes towards International Women's Day on March 8 have worsened, and its popularity has been declining in recent years. While in 2017 this holiday was one of the most beloved, celebrated as a favorite by about half of the population (49%), now only every fourth person (23%) considers it a favorite," the survey results state.
The popularity of March 8 has continuously decreased – from 49% in 2017 to 21% in 2024. However, in 2025, a slight increase (within the margin of error) was recorded – to 23%.
It is reported that this may indicate a certain stabilization of attitudes towards the holiday after a period of sharp decline.
Despite the overall decrease, it remains important for a part of society. There is also some regional differentiation based on the region where the respondent lived before the full-scale war: in the West, the holiday is popular among 6% of the population, in the Center among 24%, in the South – 32%, and in the East – 40%. Gender and age do not affect the popularity of this holiday.
Most Popular Holidays of 2025
The survey notes that overall, Ukrainians regard holidays with love and respect, with only 1% of respondents not considering any official holidays as important or beloved.
"The majority of the population of Ukraine (approximately 70%) celebrates Christmas and Easter (Pascha) as the most popular holidays, followed by Ukraine's Independence Day at 54%, New Year (50%), and Defender's Day of Ukraine (44%)," the report states.
Reference
The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) conducted its nationwide public opinion survey "Omnibus" from February 4-9.
The survey was conducted through telephone interviews in all regions of Ukraine (territory controlled by the Ukrainian government) with 1,000 respondents. The survey was conducted with adults (aged 18 and older) who were residing in the territory of Ukraine controlled by the Ukrainian government at the time of the survey.
Formally, under normal circumstances, the statistical error of such a sample (with a probability of 0.95 and taking into account the design effect of 1.3) did not exceed 4.1% for indicators close to 50%, 3.5% for indicators close to 25%, 2.5% for indicators close to 10%, and 1.8% for indicators close to 5%.
Supplement
On March 8, the world celebrates the International Women's Day for the Rights of Women and international peace - a day that symbolizes the struggle of women for equal rights, decent working conditions, access to education, and freedom of choice.