Russians are anxious about the future of their children, diseases and loss of their relatives. They believe that the country`s main problem is economic crisis.

MOSCOW, February 11, 2013. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data describing what Russians are afraid of, as well as what they think poses a threat to Russia.

As twenty years ago, Russians are most concerned about their future (32%).  Respondents are also afraid of diseases and loss of relatives (30 and 27, respectively); remarkably, that Russians are not afraid of the personal death (5%).  Every fifth is concerned about poverty (22%), old age and helplessness (20%), as well as loss of job (18%). Less Russians cite crime (11%), natural disasters (10%), ethnic conflicts, nuclear war (8%, for each), civil war, or famine (4%, for each). Least of Russians are afraid of returning to Stalinism (1%). Eleven percent of Russians say they have no fears.

Over the recent two decades the share of Russians who are afraid of the future of their children has decreased (54% in 1992).  Less Russians are afraid of crime (from 37 to 11%), ethnic conflicts (from 14 to 8%), anarchy (from 26 to 4%), and famine (from 10 to 4%). On the contrary, more Russians are afraid that their relatives will get sick (from 18 to 30%), as well as more Russians are scared of getting old (from 9 to 20%). Russians are increasingly afraid of natural disasters (from 2 to 10%).

As to threats to Russia, most of Russians cite financial and economic crisis (46%). The second most important problem is unemployment (27%). Russians also believe that main threats are loss of moral values (33%), inter-ethnic conflicts (28%). Less Russians are afraid of international problems such as involvement of Russia in the conflict between the U.S. and the Muslim countries (18%), increase of political dependence on the U.S. (12%). Inner political problems also pose threat to Russia, according to Russians; they are as follows – anarchy and political chaos (11%), dictatorship (9%), return to soviet regime (4%). Eleven percent of Russians see no threats to Russia.

Compared to the previous decade, Russians are increasingly concerned about economic crisis (from 38 to 46%); at the same time, Russians are less anxious about interethnic conflicts that threatened Russia in 2002 (from 45 to 28%). The share of those who believe that Russia is threatened with a conflict between the U.S. and the Muslim countries (from 26 to 18%) has decreased.  The share of those who think that nothing threatens Russia has considerably increased (from 1 to 11%).

The initiative Russian opinion polls were conducted on January 12-13, 2013. 1600 respondents were interviewed at 138 sampling points in 46 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.

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