THE ADORÉE STUDY 2026 · CHAPTERS 1 AND 7

Single, not searching: relationships and what Ukrainian women in Europe look for in a partner

The question of a personal life came up in survey after survey — often near the end, often quietly. The answers separate two things that are usually confused: not being in a relationship, and looking for one.

52%

are not in a relationship. Among them, only one in four is actively looking. The others are taking time, healing, or unsure.

215 respondents18 European countriesMarch–May 2026Published 2026-05-28

The figures

Relationship status of the 215 respondents
SituationShare
In a relationship48%
Not in a relationship52%
Among those not in a relationship: actively lookingThe rest are taking time, healing, or unsure25%
Source: Adorée Study 2026, p. 4 and p. 11.
What matters most in a partner (several answers possible)
QualityShare of respondents
Stability and security68%
Respect and gentleness54%
Commitment and seriousness48%
Cultural openness, shared family projectsRanked below the three abovelower, never absent
Source: Adorée Study 2026, p. 4 and p. 12.
Staying, returning, moving
StatementShare of respondents
Want to stay where they are now37%
Would consider moving within Europe for love63%
Source: Adorée Study 2026, p. 5.

What the numbers say

The largest group in this survey is not "single and looking" and not "in a relationship". It is single and undecided: women who have rebuilt a career, a home and often a family's daily life in a new country, and who have not yet given themselves permission to reopen the question. The biggest barrier reported was not "I do not want a relationship". It was "I am not sure yet, so I am doing nothing".

What they look for is ranked with unusual clarity. Stability and security (68%) leads by a wide margin — read against four years of displacement, that is not a preference, it is a lesson. Respect and gentleness (54%) and commitment (48%) follow. Attributes that dominate mainstream dating — looks, lifestyle, spontaneity — do not appear in the top three at all.

Geography is more open than one might assume. 63% would consider moving within Europe for love, and the legal framework allows it. Most never test that right because moving feels enormous — but the figure means that a serious introduction across a border is not a theoretical case for this population.

How this shaped Adorée

Adorée does not ask a woman to declare herself "looking". She can join, see who would be introduced to her, and decide nothing. Introductions are made one at a time, explained, and become visible to her only when the interest is mutual — a path between doing nothing and putting a profile in public. Compatibility is scored on the qualities named here (stability, values, family, commitment), not on photographs.

Questions this chapter answers

Are Ukrainian women who settled in Europe single?
About half. In the Adorée Study 2026 (215 respondents in 18 European countries), 52% were not in a relationship and 48% were. Among those not in a relationship, only 25% described themselves as actively looking; the rest were taking time, healing, or unsure.
What do Ukrainian women look for in a partner?
Stability and security came first (68%), followed by respect and gentleness (54%) and commitment and seriousness (48%). Cultural openness and shared family projects were mentioned less often, but were never absent.
Would a Ukrainian woman living in Europe move to another country for a relationship?
In the survey, 63% said they would consider moving within Europe for love. Temporary Protection status gives them the legal right to move between EU member states. At the same time, 37% said clearly that they want to stay where they are now.
CITE THIS PAGE

Devigne, A. (2026). "Single, not searching: relationships and what they look for in a partner". Restart — Challenges and quiet wisdom for Ukrainian women building a new life in Europe. Adorée / EU4UA. Survey of 215 Ukrainian women in 18 European countries, March–May 2026. https://clubadoree.com/study

The survey is not statistically representative of the full Ukrainian refugee population in Europe. It is a self-selected sample of women engaged with the EU4UA community. Percentages describe the survey sample only. Full methodology: /study/methodology.

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