More than half of Ukrainians who came to Germany due to the war are "less satisfied" with life in this country. Among women and the elderly, the satisfaction rates are particularly low.
The life satisfaction of Ukrainians in Germany, who are fleeing from the war, is relatively low and lower than that of immigrants from other Eastern European countries. This is indicated by the results of a sociological study conducted by the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB), published on Wednesday, October 29.
It is noted that Ukrainian refugees currently represent the largest group of the population in Germany with the status of "seeking protection." Their life satisfaction level is rated at 6.3 on a scale from 0 to 10. In comparison, other immigrants from Eastern Europe have an average score of 7.2. "However, this group has been living in Germany longer (than the war-fleeing Ukrainians. - Ed.) and thus currently does not have experiences related to war and refugee status," the document states.
A score from 0 to 6 is assessed in the study as "less satisfied," from 7 to 8 as "satisfied," and from 9 to 10 as "very satisfied."
Life satisfaction among Ukrainian refugees in Germany has increased Meanwhile, the level of life satisfaction among Ukrainians in Germany has slightly increased from 2022 to 2023. If in 2022, shortly after their arrival in Germany, it was 5.9 points, by the summer of 2023, this figure reached an average of 6.3.
"The increase in life satisfaction may be related to various factors, such as mastering the German language, which allows for greater participation in social life, moving from communal housing to private accommodation, or starting work," the authors believe.
More than half of Ukrainian refugees in Germany are "less satisfied" with their lives
In percentage terms, among the surveyed Ukrainians, the share of those "less satisfied" with life in Germany, as of 2023, is 51.4%, the share of those "satisfied" is 38.3%, and the share of those "very satisfied" is 10.2%. In the age category under 50 years, these figures are distributed as follows: 48.4% are "less satisfied," 40.8% are "satisfied," and 10.9% are "very satisfied." In the category over 50 years: 60.0% are "less satisfied," 31.6% are "satisfied," and 8.5% are "very satisfied."
Ukrainian women are less satisfied with life in Germany than men
At the same time, as the study shows, among Ukrainian women, the level of life satisfaction in Germany is 0.3% lower than that of men. The share of Ukrainian men who are "very satisfied" with life in Germany is 13%. This figure is significantly lower than among the population without migration backgrounds, the authors point out.
According to their data, the level of life satisfaction in Germany is particularly low among Ukrainians who came here without a partner or who do not have a partner. Meanwhile, those living with young children are more satisfied with life in Germany than those surveyed without children. War-fleeing Ukrainians who speak German well, as well as those who do not live in communal accommodations, also demonstrate a high level of life satisfaction, the study states.
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