In 2026, the share of Ukrainian IT professionals who do not plan to leave the country increased to 55%. This is 7 percentage points more than last year. At the same time, the overall percentage of those who are still considering moving abroad decreased to 40%.
In 2026, the share of Ukrainian IT professionals who do not plan to leave the country increased to 55%. This is 7 percentage points more than last year. At the same time, the overall percentage of those who are still considering moving abroad decreased to 40%.
This is evidenced by the results of a recent DOU study . The survey was conducted among 11,783 IT professionals currently living in Ukraine, as well as 2,507 professionals abroad.
According to the data, only 3% of respondents in Ukraine are actively preparing to leave in the near future, and 8% are waiting for the borders to open. Another 22% of those surveyed are thinking about emigrating, but are not taking any action. The main growth was due to the category of professionals who clearly decided to stay in the country.
The key factors influencing emigration sentiment remain gender, age, and military registration status. Men are thinking about leaving much more often than women — 47% versus 20%. Among men without a reservation or deferment, the share of those willing to leave is 54%, while among reserved specialists it drops to 41%. The desire to leave is also higher among young people under 25 (46%), while the presence of a family and children is more likely to encourage them to stay in Ukraine.
As for AITs who are already abroad, their intentions remain static: 21% plan to return to Ukraine, 38% do not, and 41% have not yet decided. The highest percentage of those willing to return is observed among those living in Moldova (34%), Romania (34%), and Croatia (33%). AITs are least inclined to return in Canada (64% plan to stay), the USA (52%), as well as in Portugal, France, and the Netherlands.
A trend towards a decrease in emigration sentiment has been observed over the past three years. For comparison, in 2024, 51% of IT professionals were considering leaving Ukraine, and in 2025 this figure was 48%. At the same time, according to the analytical platform The Global Economy, last year Ukraine ranked 1st in Europe and 7th in the world in terms of the level of "brain drain" with a score of 8.4 points out of 10 possible.
