A recent survey found that the number of Christians in Ukraine increased during the war. It’s been a year since Russian forces invaded Ukraine, but in the middle of the destruction, more Ukrainians cling to Jesus Christ as a source of hope and salvation.
According to the data from the Razkumov Center, which was published in the Religious Information Service for Ukraine (RISU), 74.1% identified themselves as Christians in 2022 compared to 67.8% in 2021. At the same time, the number of non-believers and convinced atheists decreased—from 13% to 12.2%.
People are open to us. They are in our churches. —Yaroslav “Slavik” Pyzh, Ukrainian Baptist pastor
“Under the influence of literally constant stress, public attitudes toward religion, expectations of the church, and assessments of its role in the life of society, the state, and the individual have changed. The nature and depth of religiosity, the need for communication with fellow believers and pastors have changed,” the release said.
In terms of territory, the percentage of Christians increased in the central region (from 63.5 to 75.9%) and in the east (from 59.2 to 63.2%) of the country. Data from the survey also found that the war had the biggest change among young Ukrainians. Believers between 18-24 grew from 48.2 to 60.6%, and among those aged 25