Despite the fact that every second Russian is ready to support nationalization, many do believe that it is not time to revise the 1990s privatization.
MOSCOW, October 2, 2017. The Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data of a study devoted to the 25th anniversary of privatization.
Most of Russians still think that the impacts of privatization are negative (73%); just 18% say that the impacts are positive. Private sector employees provide even more negative assessments than the public sector employees.
Russians are divided in their opinion about whether the privatization outcome should be revised or not: certain respondents say that this topic should not be raised at all (32%), others think that the property that the state lost in the 1990s should be returned (31%); still others say it can be done only if proved that privatization was illegal.
In the early noughties most of Russians said they would have trusted Vladimir Putin more if he had revised privatization (71% in 2000; today Russians cannot even imagine that (54%); trust increase was reported by every third Russian (33% in 2017).
The difference between the performance of private and public organizations is small: 24% see no difference; 28% think that private enterprises perform more efficiently; 37% oppose them, they are mainly persons from older age groups.
At the same time, every second Russian support nationalization (56%). Oil and gas enterprises, particularly Gazprom, factories and plants would be the first to be transferred to the state. Only every fourth respondent approves of privatization (25%); 80% of them fail to specify what companies should be transferred to private ownership (respondents mention plants, Rosneft and Gazprom).
In the 1990s Russians used their vouchers in the following way: 33% sold them, 14% invested them in the Voucher Investment Fund; 10% gave them to relatives; 13% did not do anything. Those Russians who did not have vouchers back then would have invested them in government agency issues (46%) or sold them (19%).
The VCIOM-Sputnik Russian nationwide survey was conducted on September 27-28, 2017. The survey involved 1,200 Russians aged 18 and over, 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 for the probability of selection and reflect social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 3.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
How would you assess the results of the 1990s privatization? (closed-ended, one answer) | ||||
| Total respondents | Private sector employees | Public sector employees | Don’t know |
Likely positively | 18 | 16 | 22 | 9 |
Likely negatively | 73 | 76 | 71 | 77 |
Don’t know | 9 | 8 | 7 | 14 |
Which of the following statements to revise the 1990s privatization do you most agree with? (closed-ended, one answer) | ||
| 2017 | 2008 |
Any kind of property should be returned to the state which lost it back then | 31 | 29 |
It is possible in certain cases, only if it is proved that privatization was illegal | 31 | 39 |
This question should not be raised at the moment | 32 | 21 |
Don’t know | 6 | 11 |
Would your level of trust in V. Putin have changed, if he had revised privatization? (closed-ended, one answer) | ||
| 2017 | 2000 * |
The level of trust would have substantially increased | 25 | 39 |
The level of trust would have slightly increased | 8 | 32 |
The level of trust would have slightly decreased | 1 | 13 |
The level of trust would have substantially decreased | 1 | 11 |
I can hardly imagine that | 54 | 6 |
Don’t know | 11 |
|
* In 2000, the question wording was as follows: “how would your trust in Putin be changed, if he revised privatization? The “don’t know” answer was not proposed
In your opinion, do privately owned enterprises perform more/less efficiently than state-owned enterprises? (closed-ended, one answer) | ||||||
| Total respondents | Aged 18-24 | Aged 25-34 | Aged 35-44 | Aged 45-59 | Aged 60 and over |
Rather more efficiently | 28 | 44 | 37 | 32 | 23 | 16 |
Rather less efficiently | 37 | 31 | 37 | 36 | 34 | 45 |
There is no big difference between them | 24 | 24 | 19 | 22 | 31 | 22 |
Don’t know | 11 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 17 |
In your opinion, what best meets Russia’s interest? (closed-ended, one answer) | ||||||
| Total respondents | Aged 18-24 | Aged 25-34 | Aged 35-44 | Aged 45-59 | Aged 60 and over |
Privatization, i.e. a transfer of ownership from public to private | 25 | 47 | 35 | 26 | 18 | 17 |
Nationalization, i.e. a transfer of private enterprises to the state | 56 | 35 | 50 | 59 | 59 | 64 |
Don’t know | 19 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 23 | 19 |
Can you name those state-owned enterprises that could be transferred to the private sector? (open-ended question, not more than three answers) | |
| Total respondents |
Plants | 5 |
Rosneft | 3 |
Gazprom | 2 |
Agricultural enterprises | 2 |
RZhD | 2 |
Kindergartens, schools | 1 |
Automotive industry | 1 |
Shops | 1 |
Hospitals, dental hospitals | 1 |
Russian Post | 1 |
Heat supply system | 1 |
Water supply | 1 |
Air companies | 1 |
Other | 15 |
Don’t know | 80 |
Can you name those private companies that could be transferred to the state? (open-ended question, not more than three answers) | |
| Total respondents |
Oil and gas enterprises | 10 |
Gazprom | 9 |
Factories, plants | 7 |
RZhD | 6 |
Mining companies | 5 |
Wine and spirits industry | 3 |
Power supply | 3 |
Rosneft | 3 |
Agriculture | 3 |
Healthcare | 3 |
Air companies | 2 |
Dairy plant | 2 |
Aeroflot | 2 |
Bakery | 2 |
Lukoil | 2 |
Educational institutions | 2 |
Machine building | 1 |
Fish processing factories | 1 |
Shop, commerce | 1 |
Housing sector | 1 |
Land | 1 |
Metallurgy | 1 |
Everything | 1 |
Textile and footwear industry | 1 |
Food industry | 1 |
Coal industry | 1 |
Military and industrial complex | 1 |
Meat industry | 1 |
Transport | 1 |
Housing sector | 1 |
Sberbank | 1 |
Norilsk Nickel | 1 |
Banking | 1 |
Forestry | 1 |
House construction | 1 |
Chemical pants | 1 |
Other | 14 |
Don’t know | 52 |
Let us talk about the 1990s privatization. Did you receive, personally or not, privatization vouchers? (closed-ended, one answer) | |
| Total respondents |
Yes, I did | 58 |
No, I didn’t | 41 |
Don’t know | 1 |
How did you use your privatization vouchers)? (closed-ended, any number of answers, % of those who received vouchers) | |||||||
| Total respondents | Moscow and St.Petersburg | Million cities | More than 500 ths | 100–500 ths | Less than 100 ths | Rural area |
I sold them | 33 | 25 | 32 | 34 | 31 | 35 | 39 |
I invested them in Voucher Investment Fund | 14 | 22 | 5 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 13 |
I gave them to my relatives and friends | 10 | 11 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 11 |
I bought private company securities | 7 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 7 |
I bought public company securities | 6 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 |
I did not do anything | 13 | 15 | 20 | 10 | 17 | 10 | 9 |
Other (specify) | 16 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 13 | 20 | 16 |
Don’t know | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
Imagine that you have just received privatization vouchers. What would you do with them today? (closed-ended question, any number of answers, % of those who did not receive vouchers) | |||||||
| Total respondents | Moscow and St.Petersburg | Million cities | More than 500 ths | 100–500 ths | Less than 100 ths | Rural area |
I would buy public company securities | 46 | 44 | 48 | 43 | 47 | 46 | 45 |
I would sell them | 19 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 21 | 17 |
I would buy private company securities | 13 | 18 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 |
I would give them to my relatives and friends | 13 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 15 |
Other (specify) | 10 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 13 |
Don’t know | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 6 |
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!