Most IT professionals in Ukraine no longer plan emigration - survey

Emigration sentiment among Ukrainian IT professionals continues to weaken. In 2026, about 40% of surveyed IT specialists expressed an intention to leave Ukraine, compared to 48% a year earlier and about 51% in 2024.

This is according to a summer salary survey by DOU, conducted in May-June 2026. It involved 11,783 IT professionals living in Ukraine, as well as 2,507 Ukrainian IT specialists abroad.

At the same time, 55% of respondents who remain in Ukraine do not plan to emigrate. Their share increased by 7 percentage points over the year. Another about 5% have not yet decided on their plans.

The most significant decrease was in the group of professionals who are considering relocation but have not yet started preparing for it. Meanwhile, the share of those who are actively planning to leave in the near future remains small - about 3%.

Intentions to emigrate vary significantly by gender and age. Among men, 47% are considering relocation, while among women the majority - about 70% - do not plan to leave the country. Younger specialists also more often think about leaving: among IT specialists under 25, 46% are considering it, and among those aged 35 and older - 35%.

There is also a noticeable correlation with reservation status. Among men without reservation or deferment, 54% plan to emigrate, while among those who have reservation or deferment - about 41%.

Family circumstances, on the contrary, more often keep professionals in Ukraine. Among married people, 59% do not plan to emigrate, and among IT specialists with children - 60%.

DOU also recorded differences between regions. IT professionals from western and central cities, including Khmelnytskyi, Lviv, Rivne, and Ivano-Frankivsk, more often plan to stay in Ukraine. At the same time, higher emigration sentiment is characteristic of some cities in the east and south.

Among Ukrainian IT specialists already abroad, sentiment has hardly changed over the year. 21% plan to return to Ukraine, another 41% are undecided, and 38% do not intend to return.

The highest share of those planning to return was recorded among Ukrainian IT professionals in Moldova and Romania - 34% each, in Croatia - 33%, Bulgaria and Albania - 32% each. In contrast, among those living in Canada, 64% do not plan to return, and in the USA - 52%.

Thus, the survey indicates a gradual weakening of emigration sentiment within the Ukrainian IT industry, although the share of professionals considering leaving remains significant.