MOSCOW, 19 February 2026. The VCIOM Analytical Center presents the findings of a survey on Russians’ perceptions of Russia’s role in the global economy.

Support for domestic manufacturers!

Sanctions and developments in international politics and economics in recent years have, among other things, influenced Russian consumers’ behaviors and choices. And although the media space has intensified its focus on domestic producers, most of Russians do not follow a strict “us-them” pattern in their daily choices (this issue may be secondary compared to other selection criteria such as price, quality, and availability): six out of ten say that they use domestic and foreign goods in roughly equal measure.

Every fourth person prefers domestic manufacturers, and these are more often women and older Russians, while every sixth prefers foreign ones, with a higher share of men and young people in this group. Overall, despite the economic and political events of recent years, everyday consumption in Russia remains predominantly hybrid.

Plenty of room to grow

Previous studies conducted by the VCIOM Analytical Center showed that Russians take a sober view of the Russian economy’s ability to respond to sanctions. According to the current survey, most Russians also have a restrained perception of Russia’s role in the global economy: almost half of respondents believe that the country competes successfully in a limited number of areas, while only one in five say the country is broadly competitive in many fields.  

Another third of respondents are skeptical, believing that the country has not yet become a serious competitor in the global economy. Skepticism is higher among men and young people, who also more often prefer foreign goods. Meanwhile, women and older age groups, who more frequently buy domestic products, tend to see Russia as more competitive.

Peaceful nuclear energy vs. Pharmaceuticals

Russians have an ambiguous perception of Russia's role in various sectors of the global economy: findings show that there are areas of both success and points of growth and development. The Export-Import Perception index* shows that the strongest export identity is associated with the raw materials, energy, and agricultural sectors, as well as culture. In these areas, Russia is traditionally perceived as a supplier of goods, services, and technologies.

A separate group is represented by areas with indices close to zero: food products, sports, aviation and high-tech mechanical engineering, tourism, e-commerce, logistics, and financial services. In these areas, Russians see neither clear export dominance nor pronounced dependence on borrowing.

Some sectors register negative values, reflecting their perception as areas dependent on external borrowing. These are particularly the sectors where public demand is strongest for further development and for strengthening domestic competitiveness in the future. The negative assessments may be driven not only by public dissatisfaction but also by entrenched negative stereotypes. In particular, this applies to pharmaceuticals, medical technologies, and healthcare—socially sensitive sectors with a direct impact on quality of life.

These are followed by IT, transport, industry, science and innovation, and construction. In these sectors, active international exchange takes place, and borrowing is generally seen as a natural stage of development rather than a sign of lagging behind. The film industry also falls into the group of sectors with negative values. Unlike medicine or technology, the negative index here is more likely driven by cultural expectations, especially after the withdrawal of Hollywood films from wide distribution.

Overall, negative zones can be interpreted as priority areas, i.e. areas where society sees the greatest potential for growth, and where modernization is likely to have the strongest impact on improving perceptions of Russia in the global economy.

The index highlights public demand for investment, modernization, and development rather than weaknesses.

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The nationwide ‘VCIOM-Online’ online survey was conducted from January 27 to 28, 2026. The survey involved 1,200 Russian respondents aged 18 and older. Survey method: online questionnaire administered via the probability-based VCIOM-Online panel. Panel participants are recruited through the daily nationwide telephone (CATI) ‘Sputnik’ survey conducted using a random digit dialing (RDD) sample of mobile numbers from a complete list of phone numbers in use in Russia.

The data from the nationwide online survey were weighted according to socio-demographic parameters. For this sample, the maximum sampling error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 3.1%. In addition to sampling error, survey results may be influenced by question wording and various circumstances arising during fieldwork.

* The Export-Import Perception of Russia Index is calculated as the difference between the share of respondents who consider Russia interesting to other countries as a source of goods, services, and technologies, and the share of respondents who consider Russia as a country interested in borrowing solutions from other countries. Index values are expressed in percentage points and range from –100 to 100.

Positive index values indicate that Russia is mainly viewed as a primary supplier of goods, services, and technologies to other countries; the higher the index value, the stronger the export orientation in Russians' perception.

Negative index values indicate that Russia is mainly viewed as a country more oriented toward borrowing, acquiring, and importing goods, services, and technologies; the lower the index value, the stronger the borrowing orientation.

Index values close to zero reflect a balanced or undefined perception.

Author: Tatyana Smak