Most Finns think Russia’s invasion of Ukraine increases need for development cooperation

A recent survey shows that 85 per cent of Finns believe that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine increases the need for development cooperation and humanitarian aid. However, attitudes towards development cooperation are dividing Finns.

A recent opinion survey on development cooperation, carried out every year, reveals that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shapes Finns’ attitudes towards development cooperation and humanitarian aid. As many as 94 per cent of the respondents strongly agree or agree to some extent that it is important for Finland to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Altogether 85 per cent believe that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine increases the overall need for development cooperation and humanitarian aid compared to 82 per cent the year before.

The percentage of those who consider humanitarian aid important has risen in recent years: this year, 80 per cent of Finns considered humanitarian aid as very important or fairly important compared to 77 per cent and 68 per cent in 2022 and 2021, respectively. Humanitarian aid is part of development cooperation and it is used to help people affected by natural disasters and armed conflicts, among other events.

Development cooperation divides Finns

Finns’ attitudes towards development cooperation are becoming increasingly divided. Eighty per cent of women consider development cooperation as very important or fairly important, compared to 46 per cent of men. In 2022, the corresponding figures were 76 per cent and 55 per cent, respectively.

A division is visible also in terms of party affiliation. Only 15 per cent of Finns Party voters consider development cooperation important, compared to 25 per cent in 2022. The corresponding percentage for those voting the Greens rose from last year’s 94 per cent to 98 per cent this year.

Finns are divided even in their perceptions of development cooperation results. Half of the respondents (46%) believe that development cooperation generates results very well or fairly well, while the other half (45%) believe the opposite.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has commissioned the market research company Taloustutkimus to carry out the opinion survey on development cooperation for more than 20 years. This year’s survey was conducted as an online panel from 30 May to 5 June 2023, and it was responded by 1,152 people from different parts of Finland. The target group of the survey was people between the ages of 15 and 79. The results were weighted by age, gender and place of residence according to population statistics. The confidence level was 95% with a margin of error of +/- 3.