MOSCOW, 14 June 2023. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the findings of a survey on what the Russians think about domestic and imported foods and other products.
Embargo: 9 years later
Today 59% of the respondents support restrictions on imports of agricultural products, raw materials and foods from the countries that suspended operations in Russia; every third respondent (31%) does not approve of reciprocal sanctions.
The year when embargo was introduced a vast majority of the Russians considered domestic foods to be better quality than the imported ones (64% in 2014), but the following year this share dropped by 22 p.p. (42% in 2015). Compared to 2015, today’s figures have not changed much: 39% say domestic foods have better quality (−3 p.p.); another one-third of the respondents say the quality is similar (34%, +2 p.p.); 15% say the imported foods are better quality (−1 p.p.).
The older the Russians, the more confident they are about the quality of domestic products (52% of those aged 60+ vs 20% of young persons aged 18-24). The share is higher among those who have incomplete secondary and secondary education (50% and 48% respectively), respondents with good income (46%) and those living in rural area and small settlements of under 100 thousand inhabitants (47%, each).
Leave if you are leaving
Last year certain foreign companies and brands ceased operations in Russia. However, every fifth Russian has made online purchases from the foreign brands that suspended operations in Russia (20%); 78% have not purchased anything online from those companies.
Most of those who bought products from foreign brands that left Russia are 18-24-year-olds (42%), 25-34-year-olds (31%) and metropolitan residents (36%). Only 10% of older Russians gave an affirmative answer to this question, similarly as rural area residents.
The five most popular items of the brands that left Russia are clothes (50% of the number of those who have purchased from brands that left Russia) domestic appliances, electronics (46%), beauty products and perfume (27%), home care products (26%) and shoes (25%). Other popular products are pet food (19%), software (13%), food products (12%) and children’s items (11%).
The Russians who have made online purchases from the brands that left Russia have different attitudes to the embargo and assess the quality of domestic foods in a different way. Those who have made such purchases are more likely not to support the embargo (42% vs. 27% of those who have not purchased the items of the brands that left Russia); they also say that domestic foods are worse quality (22% vs. 14%) or have similar quality (42% vs. 34%).
VCIOM-Sputnik Russian nationwide telephone survey was conducted 30 April, 2023. A total of 1,600 Russians aged 18 and over 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 April 30, 2023: cooperation rate (CR)* = 0.8136; minimum response rate (MRR)** = 0.0193; response rate (RR)*** = 0.1475. Calculations are based on the 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 thatthe 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.
Today certain restrictions on imports of agricultural products, raw materials and foods from the countries that adopted sanctions against Russia (basically the USA. and the EU) are on in Russia. Do you personally approve or not approve the restrictions on food imports in Russia? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||||||
| Total | Men | Women | Ages 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 + |
Likely approve | 59 | 60 | 59 | 30 | 49 | 65 | 67 | 64 |
Likely not approve | 31 | 31 | 31 | 59 | 40 | 27 | 23 | 27 |
Don’t know | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 9 |
In your opinion, compared to the imported foods are domestic foods better quality, similar quality or worse quality? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2023 |
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Domestic foods are better quality than the imported ones | 64 | 42 | 39 |
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Domestic foods are worse quality than the imported ones | 8 | 16 | 15 |
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Domestic foods are similar quality compared to the imported ones | 24 | 32 | 34 |
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Don’t know | 5 | 10 | 12 |
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In your opinion, compared to the imported foods are domestic foods better quality, similar quality or worse quality? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||||||||
| Total | Men | Women | Ages 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 + |
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Domestic foods are better quality than the imported ones | 39 | 38 | 39 | 20 | 27 | 35 | 41 | 52 |
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Domestic foods are worse quality than the imported ones | 15 | 18 | 13 | 24 | 27 | 17 | 12 | 8 |
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Domestic foods are similar quality compared to the imported ones | 34 | 34 | 35 | 51 | 39 | 39 | 36 | 21 |
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Don’t know | 12 | 10 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 19 |
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In your opinion, compared to the imported foods are domestic foods better quality, similar quality or worse quality? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||||
| Total | How would you currently assess the financial situation in your family? |
| |||
Very good, good | Average | Very bad, bad | Don’t know |
| ||
Domestic foods are better quality than the imported ones | 39 | 46 | 39 | 28 | 0 |
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Domestic foods are worse quality than the imported ones | 15 | 12 | 13 | 29 | 53 |
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Domestic foods are similar quality compared to the imported ones | 34 | 31 | 36 | 29 | 29 |
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Don’t know | 12 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 18 |
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Over the recent year have you purchased any items from the foreign brands that left Russia in large online stores, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||||||
| Total | Men | Women | Ages 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 + |
Yes | 20 | 20 | 20 | 42 | 31 | 22 | 16 | 10 |
No | 78 | 78 | 78 | 54 | 68 | 76 | 83 | 89 |
Don’t know | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
What items of the foreign brands that left Russia have you purchased online over the recent year? (closed-ended question, any number of answers, % of those who bought such items) | ||||||||
| Total | Men | Women | 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 + |
Clothes | 50 | 48 | 52 | 80 | 42 | 42 | 52 | 35 |
Domestic appliances, electronics | 46 | 56 | 38 | 33 | 49 | 57 | 42 | 43 |
Beauty products, perfume | 27 | 12 | 40 | 45 | 22 | 27 | 24 | 19 |
Home care products | 26 | 25 | 26 | 22 | 37 | 19 | 27 | 20 |
Shoes | 25 | 29 | 21 | 34 | 19 | 28 | 22 | 20 |
Pet food | 19 | 16 | 21 | 7 | 25 | 13 | 30 | 16 |
software | 13 | 14 | 12 | 28 | 11 | 15 | 5 | 5 |
Foods | 12 | 11 | 13 | 20 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 7 |
Children’s items | 11 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 16 | 16 | 10 | 1 |
Car parts | 4 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 5 |
Furniture | 4 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
Medicines/supplements | 3 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
Home improvement goods | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Other | 4 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
Don’t know | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
Today certain restrictions on imports of agricultural products, raw materials and foods from the countries that adopted sanctions against Russia (basically the U.S.A. and the EU) are on in Russia. Do you personally approve or not approve the restrictions on food imports in Russia? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||
| Total | Over the recent year have you purchased any items from the foreign brands that left Russia in large online stores, or not? | ||
Yes | No | Don’t know | ||
Likely approve | 59 | 49 | 64 | 56 |
Likely not approve | 31 | 42 | 27 | 31 |
Don’t know | 10 | 9 | 9 | 13 |
In your opinion, compared to the imported foods are domestic foods better quality, similar quality or worse quality? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||||
| Total | Over the recent year have you purchased online any items from the foreign brands that left Russia in large online stores, or not? |
| ||
Yes | No | Don’t know |
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Domestic foods are better quality than the imported ones | 39 | 25 | 43 | 34 |
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Domestic foods are worse quality than the imported ones | 15 | 22 | 14 | 25 |
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Domestic foods are similar quality compared to the imported ones | 34 | 42 | 32 | 22 |
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Don’t know | 12 | 11 | 11 | 19 |
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