Over half of Ukrainians support civil partnerships for LGBT+ – sociological study

More than half of Ukrainians support introducing civil partnerships for LGBT+ people, while nearly three-quarters believe they should be protected from discrimination. Nearly half also support the right of same-sex couples to adopt children, according to the findings of the nationwide survey Public Attitudes Toward LGBT+ People, conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), as reported by ZMINA.

Photo: Unsplash

On July 10, the NGO Fulcrum UA presented the results of the survey, which KIIS conducted in May and June 2026. Sociologists surveyed 2,007 respondents to assess Ukrainians’ attitudes toward LGBT+ people and the level of support for their rights.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents (72%) believe LGBT+ people should enjoy the same rights as other citizens, while 18% disagree. At the same time, 74% support protecting LGBT+ people from discrimination, compared with 15% who oppose such protections.

Support for protecting LGBT+ people from discrimination was recorded across all major religious communities in Ukraine. The highest level of support was found among people with no religious affiliation (82%), non-denominational Christians (81%) and members of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (78%). Support stands at 74% among non-denominational Orthodox Christians, 72% among followers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) and 71% among Greek Catholics.

“These findings indicate a broad public consensus that discrimination is unacceptable, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity,” the organisation said.

More than half of Ukrainians (54%) support the right of LGBT+ people to enter into civil partnerships, while 34% oppose the idea.

“A majority of respondents support allowing the registration of same-sex civil partnerships to ensure equal social protection for LGBT+ service members. Overall, 57% of respondents agree with this statement, while 29% disagree,” the study says.

However, when asked specifically about legalising registered partnerships, support among those same religious groups is notably lower.  Among members of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, 56% support registered partnerships. Support stands at 55% among non-denominational Orthodox Christians, 46% among Greek Catholics and 44% among followers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Ukrainians remain divided on the right of same-sex couples to adopt children. Overall, 46% support allowing same-sex couples to adopt, while 42% oppose it. The highest level of support was recorded among young people: 63% of respondents ages 18 to 29 back the right, compared with 49% of those ages 30 to 39.

Sociologists also asked whether Ukrainians would vote for candidates or political parties that support LGBT+ rights. Forty-two percent said they would, while the same share said they would not. At the same time, 58% of respondents said they would not vote for candidates or parties that oppose LGBT+ rights. Only 26% said they would support such politicians.

“Public support for registered partnerships has remained between 53% and 56% for several years. This year, it stands at 54%. Support has plateaued, but it has not declined, and that is good news,” Oleh Maksymiak, advocacy manager at Fulcrum UA, told the news outlet ZMINA.

According to Maksymiak, the survey provides new insights into public support for LGBT+ rights across different demographic groups, particularly by religious affiliation.

“This is entirely new data. Research like this has never been conducted before. We can now see which religious communities are more supportive of LGBT+ rights. These findings are extremely valuable for advocacy efforts. We also saw strong support from some religious communities, particularly members of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” he said.

Maksymiak added that the findings will help advance advocacy for registered civil partnerships and stronger protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

At the same time, he said public tolerance toward LGBT+ people has remained largely unchanged since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Support for adoption by same-sex couples has increased compared with 2023, although it has not yet exceeded 50%. 

“Perhaps this is because people who already support registered partnerships for LGBT+ people have gained a better understanding of the issue and have begun supporting a broader range of LGBT+ rights,” Maksymiak said.

The European Union’s 2025 Enlargement Report noted that the Ukrainian parliament has yet to make progress on two bills introducing registered partnerships: Bill No. 12252, submitted on Nov. 27, 2024, and Bill No. 9103, submitted on March 13, 2023. Both were introduced by lawmaker Inna Sovsun.

Need a human-rights perspective on Ukraine’s latest legal developments? Connect with ZMINA on X, BlueSky, and LinkedIn for regular policy updates – and let us know what you want to read next in our survey here.