Results of our studies

IN BRIEF

MOSCOWJuly 13, 2009. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data describing what national threats Russians think are facing the country, and how public attitudes have changed compared with 2008.

Economic crisis, weak industry and agriculture rank top national threats from Russians` point of view (11%). The second place is held by alcoholism, drug addiction and population degradation (9%). Military threat from the United States (NATO, West in general), possibility of the WWIII are threats that close the top 3 (7%).  The share of Russians who think that terrorism, poverty, low living standards, corruption, theft and bureaucracy, unemployment are facing national security are 6% for each group. 5% (for each) mention demographic crisis and war threat from the South or East. Four percent point out "hot spots" (Chechnya, Dagestan and others), local wars on the territory of Russia. Those who mention unspiritualness of population, ecological threat and migrants from other regions are 3% for each. This is followed by interethnic conflicts, nationalism and fascism, crime (2% for each).

Rarer Russians are afraid of inflation, indifference of authorities to people, Russia's disintegration, and growth of gap between rich and poor, depletion of natural resources (1% for each). However, more than a third of Russians (39%) were undecided.

 

Compared with 2008, some threats  have increased or, vice versa, decreased their values from Russians` point of view.Whereas in 2008 Russians considered military threat from the U.S., NATO and West in general (11%) to be the main threat, then now only 7% of respondents think so. However, Russians have put more attention to economic crisis (from 4% to 11%). Russians also think alcoholism and drug addiction (9% against 3% in 2008), unemployment (6% against 2%), corruption (6% against 2%), war from the South, East (5% against 1%), and "hot spots" (4% against 1%) to have become more important national threats.

Nevertheless, now Russians rarer mention such threats as migrants from China, possibility of revolution, dependence on western food, inaccessibility of free education, poor medical service  (1% for each in 2008). At the same time, the share of those who are hard to define the key national threats has decreased (from 49% to 39%).

 

The initiative Russian opinion polls were conducted on June 27-28, 2009. 

1600 respondents were interviewed at 140 sampling points in 42 regions of Russia.

The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.

 

In your opinion, what key national threats are facing and threatening Russia today?

 (open-ended question, any number of answers)

 

2008

2009

Weak industry and agriculture, economic crisis, raw-material oriented economy

4

11

Alcoholism, drug addiction, population degradation

3

9

Military threat from the U.S. (NATO, West in general, missile defense), WWIII

11

7

Terrorism (including international, Al-Qaeda and others)

5

6

Poverty, low living standards (low salaries, pensions, hunger)

4

6

Corruption, bribery, theft, bureaucracy

3

6

Unemployment

2

6

Demographic crisis, extinction, high mortality, low birth rates, poor people's health (AIDS)

6

5

War threat from the South, East (China)

1

5

Hot spots (Chechnya, Dagestan others), local wars in Russia

1

4

Unspiritualness, population demoralization (youth first), lack of patriotism

3

3

Ecological threat

3

3

Migrants from other regions (Caucasus, Central Asia)

2

3

Interethnic conflicts,  tension, hostility between nations

3

2

Nationalism, fascism

1

2

Crime

0

2

Inflation, high prices ( for housing, food, medical services)

3

1

Authorities` indifference to people, poor politics

2

1

Russia's disintegration, threat to territorial integrity

2

1

Gap between rich and poor,  oligarchs` pillage

1

1

Depletion of natural resources (oil, gas), squandering

1

1

Migrants from China

1

0

Possibility of revolutions, strikes due to increased prices; civil war threat

1

0

Food security, dependence on western food

1

0

Inaccessibility of free education

1

0

Poor medical service, inaccessibility of high quality medical services

1

0

no threats

2

1

other

1

3

hard to tell

49

39

 

 

Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or www.wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM,

the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!

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