Despite economy`s slowdown and the cooling of relations between Russia and western countries, emigration moods are not increasing.
MOSCOW, August 11, 2014. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the information describing the number of Russians who are willing to move permanently abroad, as well as what they do for that.
An overwhelming majority of Russians (88%) are not willing to move permanently abroad: this share has been stable over the recent years and makes up 82-88% (from 2011 to 2014). More than twenty years ago most of respondents shared the same point of view (70%). Living abroad attracts 11% of respondents; they are basically those who do not approve of the presidential policy (22%), 18-24-year-old persons (21%), those who have high income (21%), and residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg (18%).
The main reason why some Russians want to move permanently to another country is higher living standards (salaries, pensions et cet.); 47% of respondents report so. Rarer Russians mention career opportunities (14%), social stability (12%) or better climate (12%).
A relative majority of those who would like to move somewhere permanently have not thought about when they could do that (43%). Few respondents would do that for the next one to two years (13%) or three to five years (14%). IN order to do that respondents search for the information about the country they are interested in (23%), study foreign languages (18%), save up money to move (17%), or get an advice from friends or those who live abroad (16%).
The VCIOM opinion poll was conducted on June 28-29, 2014. 1600 respondents were interviewed in 130 communities in 42 regions of Russia. Data are weighted by gender, age, education, working status and type of settlement. The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.
Would you like to move permanently to another country? (closed-ended question, one answer) | |||||
| 1991 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
Rather yes | 16 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 11 |
Rather no | 70 | 82 | 88 | 85 | 88 |
Don`t know | 14 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
If you want to move overseas permanently, what is the reason why? (open-ended question, any number of answers, % of those who would like to move overseas) | ||||
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
Higher living standards/salaries/pensions/benefits | 41 | 39 | 51 | 47 |
More carrier/business opportunities | 16 | 10 | 12 | 14 |
Social stability, protection | 14 | 9 | 10 | 12 |
Better climate, ecology | 3 | 1 | <1 | 12 |
Too many social problems in Russia(alcohol, drug addiction, crime). | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 |
It is interesting (I travel there; I have always dreamt about it); | 5 | 6 | 4 | 5 |
I categorically dislikes living in Russia / I like another country | 8 | 11 | 4 | 5 |
My relatives live abroad | 4 | 4 | <1 | 4 |
Higher cultural level / different mentality | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
Opportunity to get high quality education | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
Russia does not combat corruption | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
To marry | - | - | 2 | <1 |
Other | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Don`t know | 11 | 20 | 15 | 17 |
Have you thought about when you would like to move? If yes, when? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of those who would like to move overseas) | |||
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
No, I have not thought about that | 39 | 50 | 43 |
In the next three to five years | 13 | 15 | 14 |
Within a year or two | 11 | 5 | 13 |
In the next six to nine years | 11 | 9 | 10 |
In a decade or later | 8 | 8 | 8 |
I thought about it but I do not know when it would be possible due to many reasons | 17 | 13 | 12 |
Do you do anything special to move overseas now or later?(closed-ended question, any number of questions, % of those who would like to move overseas) | ||||
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
I am collecting information about the country where I want to move | 20 | 21 | 26 | 23 |
I am learning foreign language | 16 | 20 | 19 | 18 |
I am saving money to move | 9 | 14 | 14 | 17 |
I am getting advice form friends who have moved | 19 | 16 | 17 | 16 |
I am searching for the information about resettlement programs | 8 | 9 | 7 | 12 |
I am getting additional education; I am taking courses that can help me find a job abroad | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
I am searching (I am employed) for a job abroad with the intention to move | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
I am searching for a job | 11 | 8 | 6 | 4 |
I am searching for an opportunity to marry a foreigner | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
I am searching for an educational program abroad | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
I do nothing | 20 | 16 | 16 | 15 |
Don`t know | 30 | 29 | 23 | 27 |
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!