Official Survey Finds Most Kyiv Students Not Using Ukrainian at School

Overview

• 82% of Kyiv schoolchildren do not use Ukrainian during breaks, according to official survey data reported November 9.
• About 66% say they do not speak Ukrainian during lessons, and only 18% report using it exclusively while studying.
• Teachers also report frequent Russian use, with 24% using it in lessons and 40% during breaks.
• Officials cite broader declines, with the share identifying Ukrainian as native falling from 71% to 64% and everyday use among youth dropping to 49% from 55% in 2023.
• Adolescents most often attribute their choice to habit (33%), Russian spoken in families (20%), limited Ukrainian-speaking environment (13%), insufficient knowledge (12%), and perceived bias (9%), based on a survey by the State Service for Education Quality and the Office for State Language Protection.