MOSCOW, 18 July 2024. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the results of a survey about interethnic relations conducted among Russians.
On interethnic relations
Russia is a multiethnic country. Today most of Russians (60%) are confident that multiethnicity makes Russia stronger. A quarter of Russians (25%) believe that this does not have any impact on how strong Russia is; only 7% see it as a source of weakening. In addition, eight out of ten Russians (79%) perceive favorably the state of interethnic relations at the place of residence.
Respondents living in Southern and North Caucasian federal districts perceive people of other nationalities in a friendly and calm way (86% and 87% respectively). Skeptical assessments in Central and Northwestern federal districts exceed the mean across the country (24% and 21% respectively vs.17% across the country).
A vast majority of Russians (81%) also do not feel any anxiety or fear regarding people of other ethnicities.
Attitudes towards immigrants are also rather friendly. Eight out of ten respondents (81%) do not feel dislike towards people who came from other countries.
Pole of fear
Eighteen percent of respondents have a sense of anxiety and fear towards people of other nationalities in Russia. Anxiety regarding the state of interethnic relations in the place of residence is expressed by 17% of respondents (including 15% who assess the state of interethnic relations as tense, and 2% as highly explosive). To a certain extent, 12% of respondents feel anxiety or fear towards immigrants.
Russian xenophobia has its specifics. Skeptical assessments regarding interethnic relations in the place of residence are often expressed by men (19% vs. 14% of women), young respondents (Zoomers – 20%, Millennials 22-23%), those with higher and incomplete higher education (20% vs. 13-14% of those who have secondary special education or lower), respondents with poor financial situation (21% vs.13% of those with good financial situation), residents of Moscow and St Petersburg (36%), persons living in large cities (million-plus cities, 500-950 thousand inhabitants – 20-21%) and those who prefer using the Internet rather than television (24% vs. 11%).
Vigilance directed towards people of other nationalities is more typical of women (20% vs. 15% of men), young respondents (23-26% of Zoomers and Younger Millennials), persons with low income (22% vs. 14% with good income), metropolitan residents (23%) and residents of large cities (20-22%), as well as active internet consumers (22% vs. 11% of TV viewers).
The younger Russians are, the more often they feel dislike towards migrants (18-24 – 19%, those aged over 60 – 10%); those who report so are often respondents with incomplete secondary education (36%) and metropolitan residents (16% vs. 10% rural areas).
All-Russian VCIOM-Sputnik telephone surveys were conducted Aprill 1-2 and July 10, 2024. A total of 1,600 respondents aged 18 and older took part in each 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 10 July, 2024: cooperation rate (CR)* = 0,8018; minimum response rate (MRR)** = 0,0124; response rate (RR)*** = 0,0381. 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.
In your opinion, does the fact that Russia is a multiethnic country make Russia stronger or weaker, or does it have no impact on Russia’s strength?* (close-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |
Likely stronger | 60 |
Likely no impact | 25 |
Likely weaker | 7 |
Don’t know | 8 |
*The survey was held on July 10
How would you assess the relations between people of different ethnicities in your locality?** (close-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||||||||
| Total | Central Federal District | Northwestern Federal District | Southern Federal District | North Caucasian Federal District | Volga Federal District | Ural Federal District | Siberian Federal District | Far Eastern Federal District |
Friendly | 30 | 22 | 22 | 37 | 49 | 34 | 32 | 29 | 29 |
Calm, no conflicts | 49 | 49 | 50 | 49 | 38 | 49 | 47 | 54 | 49 |
Tense, conflictive | 15 | 22 | 20 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 17 | 13 | 8 |
Highly explosive | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
Don’t know / refusal to answer | 4 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
** The survey was held on July 10
How would you assess the relations between people of different ethnicities in your locality? | |||||||||
Total | Men | Women | Digital generation (2001 and later) | Younger Millennials (1992—2000) | Older Millennials (1982—1991) | Reform generation (1968—1981) | Stagnation generation (1948—1967) | Thaw generation (before 1947) | |
Friendly | 30 | 30 | 30 | 23 | 25 | 30 | 27 | 35 | 36 |
Calm, no conflicts | 49 | 47 | 50 | 55 | 45 | 45 | 54 | 49 | 46 |
Tense, conflictive | 15 | 16 | 13 | 19 | 22 | 19 | 13 | 10 | 8 |
Highly explosive | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Don’t know | 4 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 |
Some people feel anxiety or fear being next to someone of another ethnicity. Do you personally feel any anxiety or fear towards people of other ethnicities? (close-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||||||||
Total | Men | Women | Digital generation (2001 and later) | Younger Millennials (1992—2000) | Older Millennials (1982—1991) | Reform generation (1968—1981) | Stagnation generation (1948—1967) | Thaw generation (before 1947) | |
Definitely yes | 5 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 5 |
Likely yes | 13 | 11 | 14 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 9 | 11 | 4 |
Likely no | 31 | 28 | 33 | 24 | 24 | 33 | 36 | 28 | 31 |
Definitely no | 50 | 56 | 45 | 49 | 48 | 43 | 48 | 56 | 58 |
Don’t know | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
** The survey was held on July 10
Let’s talk about migrants – people who have recently come to your locality from other countries. Do you personally feel or not feel dislike towards migrants?*** (close-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||||||
| Total | Men | Women | Ages 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 + |
Definitely yes | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Likely yes | 9 | 11 | 8 | 16 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 7 |
Likely no | 36 | 34 | 38 | 26 | 39 | 41 | 35 | 35 |
Definitely no | 45 | 47 | 44 | 52 | 44 | 42 | 47 | 45 |
Don’t know | 7 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 |
*** The survey was held on April 1-2