Every third respondent aged 18-24 would like to leave Russia permanently. The referred destination might be Germany, the USA and Spain.
MOSCOW, July 2, 2018. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data of a monitoring survey devoted to emigration mood of Russians.
An overwhelming majority of Russians (88%) would not like to leave Russia permanently. According to most of Russians, over the recent two years the number of those who leave the country permanently has not increased: 27% say that this percentage has decreased, 27% say that it has stayed the same. Twenty-three percent of Russians report an outflow increase. Every fourth Russian (26%) has friends and relatives who have recently left Russia: of those who have left Russia as tourists over the recent two or three years, this share is 46%.
The number of those willing to go abroad is almost the same: about 10-13% in 2011-2018. In 2018, 10% of Russians say they want to leave Russia permanently. Those who are likely to leave more readily are young Russians (31% of the 18-24-year-olds) and people who have traveled overseas over the recent two or three years (19-20%).
The percentage of respondents who are going to move permanently within the next year or two has declined from 17% in 2017 to 10% in 2018. Today respondents choose the destination country more thoroughly: more respondents take real steps to move (they gather information about the destination country, learn foreign languages, ask advice from friends who moved permanently abroad, et cet.).
Eighteen percent of Russians have recently traveled as tourists – they went to get treatment or to have a rest (27% of persons aged 18-24 and only 14% of those aged 60 and over). Three-quarters of Russians (74%) have not left Russia over the recent two or three years.
Germany is the most attractive among all the countries: this country has been at the top of the rating of alternative destinations for the second consecutive year.
The VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on June 6-7, 2018, and involved 2,000 Russians aged 18 and over. The survey was telephone-based and 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 according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.2%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
In 2017, a VCIOM-Sputnik survey involving 1,800 was carried out respondents (a margin of error of 2.5% at a 95% confidence level).
The 2011-2016 results are based on household surveys
In your opinion, has the number of people leaving Russia permanently increased, decreased or stayed at the same level over the recent years? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||||
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
Their number has increased | 29 | 18 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
Their number has stayed the same | 37 | 42 | 32 | 33 | 30 | 27 |
Their number has decreased | 21 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 31 | 27 |
Don’t know | 13 | 16 | 21 | 23 | 16 | 23 |
In your opinion, has the number of people leaving Russia permanently increased, decreased or stayed at the same level over the recent years (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) 2018 | |||||
| Aged 18-24 | Aged 25-34 | Aged 35-44 | Aged 45-59 | Aged 60 and over |
Their number has increased | 52 | 34 | 24 | 14 | 17 |
Their number has stayed the same | 19 | 33 | 27 | 30 | 23 |
Their number has decreased | 17 | 20 | 27 | 31 | 29 |
Don’t know | 12 | 13 | 22 | 25 | 31 |
Do you have any relatives or friends who have left Russia over the recent five years? (open-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||
| 2015 | 2016 | 2018 |
I have such friends | 22 | 20 | 26 |
I do not have such friends and relatives | 76 | 77 | 71 |
Don’t know | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Do you have any relatives or friends who have left Russia over the recent five years? (open-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) 2018 | |||||
| Total respondents | Those who have travelled overseas for other purposes | Those who have travelled overseas to get treatment, to rest or as tourists | Those who have not travelled overseas over the recent 2 or 3 years | Don’t know |
I have such friends | 26 | 38 | 46 | 21 | 0 |
I do not have such friends and relatives | 71 | 58 | 53 | 76 | 36 |
Don’t know | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 64 |
Would you like to move permanently abroad? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||||||||
| 1991 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
Rather yes | 16 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
Rather no | 70 | 82 | 88 | 85 | 88 | 85 | 86 | 89 | 88 |
Don’t know | 14 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Would you like to move permanently abroad? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||||||
| Persons aged 18-24 | |||||||
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
Rather yes | 26 | 25 | 31 | 21 | 26 | 21 | 25 | 31 |
Rather no | 67 | 73 | 67 | 77 | 72 | 75 | 75 | 66 |
Don’t know | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
Would you like to move permanently abroad? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) 2018 | |||||
| Total respondents | Those who have travelled overseas for other purposes | Those who have travelled overseas to get treatment, to rest or as tourists | Those who have not travelled overseas over the recent 2 or 3 years | Don’t know |
Rather yes | 10 | 19 | 20 | 7 | 0 |
Rather no | 88 | 76 | 76 | 91 | 36 |
Don’t know | 2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 64 |
Have you thought about when you could move? If yes, when? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of those willing to move permanently abroad) | |||||||
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
Within a year or two | 11 | 5 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 17 | 10 |
Within three to five years | 13 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 16 |
Within six to nine years | 11 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 11 |
In a decade or later | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 6 |
No, I have not thought about that | 39 | 50 | 43 | 49 | 51 | 43 | 44 |
I thought about that but I do not know when I can do that due to certain circumstances | 18 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 18 | 9 | 13 |
Are you taking any specific steps to move permanently abroad now or later? (closed-ended question, any number of answers, % of those willing to move permanently abroad) | ||||||||
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
I am gathering information about the country I want to move | 20 | 21 | 26 | 23 | 14 | 14 | 20 | 26 |
I am learning a foreign language | 16 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 22 |
I am getting advice from friends who moved abroad | 19 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 21 |
I am saving money | 9 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 20 | 19 |
I am searching for an education program abroad | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 9 |
I am searching (I am hired) a job in an international company with an opportunity to move abroad | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
I am getting additional education, skills that could help me find a job abroad | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 |
I am searching for information about resettlement programs | 8 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
I am searching for a job abroad | 11 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
I am searching for opportunities to marry a foreigner | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
I do not do anything special/ Don’t know | 50 | 45 | 39 | 42 | 55 | 63 | 51 | 41 |
Have you travelled overseas over the recent two or three years? If yes, what was the purpose? (closed-ended question, any number of answers, % of total respodnents) 2018 | ||||||
| Total respondents | Aged 18-24 | Aged 25-34 | Aged 35-44 | Aged 45-59 | Aged 60 and over |
To rest, to get medical treatment, as tourists | 18 | 27 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 14 |
To visit friends and relatives | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
Business trip, professional purposes | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
For studies | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Other | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
I have not travelled anywhere over the recent 2 or 3 years | 74 | 67 | 73 | 72 | 74 | 79 |
Don’t know | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Could you name a country where you would like to move permanently abroad, please? (open-ended question, one answer, % of those willing to move permanently abroad; answers for each line mentioned by at least 2% of respondents) | ||
| 2017 | 2018 |
Germany | 13 | 16 |
USA | 10 | 7 |
Spain | 3 | 6 |
Canada | 2 | 5 |
Italy | 5 | 4 |
European countries (without precision) | 1 | 4 |
Norway | 2 | 3 |
France | 1 | 3 |
Thailand | 1 | 3 |
Montenegro | 1 | 3 |
Australia | 7 | 2 |
Switzerland | 2 | 2 |
Finland | 1 | 2 |
Other | 32 | 15 |
Don’t know | 19 | 25 |
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!