More than one-third of Russians say that they live a sober lifestyle. Half of alcohol consumers have decreased the amounts of alcohol over a year.
MOSCOW, September 21, 2018. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data of a survey devoted to alcohol consumption.
Alcohol consumption saw a decline: the share of Russians who say they do not drink has increased from 26% in 2009 to 40% in 2018 (57% among the 18-24-year-olds). Fifty-eight percent of respondents drink from time to time but predominantly not more than several times a month; 40% have reduced the amount of alcohol over a year (only 3% argue the opposite).
On the entire sampling, 14% of respondents consume alcohol two or three times a month (23% among men vs 7% of women); this share is higher among the 25-34-year-olds (19%) across different age groups.
The share of those who think that any types of alcohol may negatively impact health has decreased from 80% to 55% over the recent year. More than one-third of respondents (61%) consider that certain amounts of alcohol can do no harm. Wine is commonly treated as the most harmless alcoholic drink (51%); this stance is shared by 61% of respondents with higher education diplomas. The second place is held by beer and vodka (14%, for each).
The VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on September 6, 2018. The survey involved 1,600 Russians aged 18 and over. The survey was telephone-based and was carried out using stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of landline and mobile phone numbers operating in Russia. The data were weighted according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
The 2009-2011 results are based on household surveys.
Do you drink alcohol; if yes how often? (closed-ended question, one answer % of total respondents) | ||||
| 2009 | 2011 | 2017 | 2018 |
Every day | -* | -* | 0 | 1 |
Several times a week | 8 | 7 | 5 | 3 |
Two or three times a month | 19 | 20 | 16 | 14 |
About once a month | 19 | 16 | 12 | 16 |
Less than once a month | 26 | 27 | 26 | 24 |
I do not drink alcohol | 26 | 28 | 39 | 40 |
Don’t know | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
*In 2009 and 2011 this answer option was not proposed.
Do you drink alcohol now more/less/at the same level than a year ago? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of those who drink alcohol) | ||
| 2017 | 2018 |
Now I drink more | 4 | 3 |
Now I drink less | 44 | 40 |
I drink the same amounts of alcohol | 50 | 55 |
Don’t know | 2 | 2 |
There is a viewpoint that certain alcoholic drinks pose no threat to health. Do you agree with that? (closed-ended question, one answer % of total respondents) | ||
| 2017 | 2018 |
Likely agree | 15 | 39 |
Likely disagree | 80 | 55 |
Don’t know | 5 | 6 |
What are those types of alcohol? (open-ended question, up to 5 answers, % of those who agree that certain quantities of alcohol can pose no threat to health) | |||||
| % of those who agree that certain amounts of alcohol can pose no threat to health | Elementary (incomplete secondary) education | Secondary education (school, vocational school) | Specialized secondary education (technical school) | Incomplete higher (not less than three years in a higher education institution), higher education |
Wine | 51 | 18 | 48 | 44 | 61 |
Vodka | 14 | 6 | 12 | 14 | 15 |
Beer | 14 | 18 | 21 | 8 | 15 |
Cognac | 13 | 13 | 8 | 11 | 18 |
Home-made wine, nastoika | 8 | 28 | 2 | 11 | 6 |
Samogon (home brew) | 8 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 6 |
Champagne | 4 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Nastoika (tincture) | 3 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
Alcohol -free | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
Kvas | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
Bitter | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Low-alcohol drinks | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Whiskey | 1 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Cahors wine | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Kefir (fermented dairy) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Liquor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Mead | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Chacha (grape brandy) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Cider | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ethyl alcohol | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Any high quality alcohol | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Any alcohol in small quantities | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Other | 3 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 4 |
Don’t know | 15 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 9 |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!