MOSCOW, 26 June 2024. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the findings of a survey on plans and priorities of the modern Russian youth.

Long-term or one day?

A June survey conducted by VCIOM reveals that seven in ten respondents have plans for life (72%), including 24% who have short-term plans – for the next week (10%) or a month (14%); almost the same percentage of respondents (26%) have mid-term plans – a year ahead. Long-term planning – a five-year or a ten-year plan – is popular among 12% and 10% respectively. Twenty-five percent of respondents do not have any plans.  

Long-term plans are common for young respondents. A vast majority of young respondents aged 18-35 (85% vs 66% of the remainder) have plans for life; only 13% do not have any plans, which is twice as low compared to Russians aged 36+(29%). Young respondents tend to have short-term, mid-term and long-term planning horizon: one month (19% vs. 12% of the remainder), one year (31% vs. 24%) and five years ahead (16% vs. 10%).

First or parenting then housing, or vice versa?

According to findings, two-thirds of Russians have managed to obtain their own housing (66%); at the same time this goal is the most desired, as three in ten Russians would like to buy an apartment/ house within the next ten years (29%). More than half of Russians have started a family and become parents (57% and 56% respectively); another 16% and 21% would like to do it in the near future. Forty-four percent of Russians possess a car; 26% would like to become car owners. Fewer Russians are business owners (14%); another 24% would like to own a business.

Young persons aged 18-24 who have recently entered adulthood only manifest their desire to achieve the above-mentioned goals within the next ten years. The most urgent tasks for them are to have their own housing (73%), followed by a personal car (64%) and building a family (getting married, having a child – 52%, each). In other words, having material basics later followed by starting a family is paramount for youth. As to owning a business, the 18-24-year-olds share common views with the neighboring young generation: the share of those who want to have their own business is at 43% in both groups.

Many of those aged 25-34 have managed to accomplish certain life goals: in particular, getting married (55% vs. 16% of those aged 18-24), becoming parents (35% vs. 3%), obtaining housing (47% vs. 24%) or buying a car (39% vs. 19%).

Believing in you

Russians who have ambitions largely believe in themselves: eight in ten respondents say that within the next ten years they will likely be able to build a family and have children (78%, each; from now on – from the number of those who want to accomplish it). Three-quarters of those who want to be a car owner believe they are capable of accomplishing this goal (76%). Long-range goals are more difficult to achieve as they require more financial resources: buying an apartment/house (“likely yes” — 68%) and launching business (60%).

All-Russian VCIOM-Sputnik telephone survey was conducted 21 June, 2024. A total of 1,600 respondents aged 18 and older took part in the survey. Survey method: telephone interviews, stratified random sample based on a complete list of mobile phone numbers in use in Russia. The data were weighted for socio-demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes to the wording of questions and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.

Key effectiveness indicators, survey of 21 June, 2024:  cooperation rate (CR)* = 0,7610; minimum response rate (MRR)** = 0,0113; response rate (RR)*** = 0,0618. Calculations are based on corporate standard https://profi.wciom.ru/principy_standarty/korporativnyj-standart-po-izmereniyu-rezultativnosti-oprosov-sputnik-vciom/

* CR: the number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews and b) non-interviews with eligible respondents.

** MRR: the number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews, b) interrupted interviews after successful screening and c) all the respondents where it is unknown whether they meet the selected criteria or not.

 ** RR is calculated in the same way as MRR, with the only difference that the number of respondents with unknown eligibility decreases proportional to the percentage of eligible cases in the total number of respondents with identified eligibility or non-eligibility.