MOSCOW, 3 February 2025. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the findings of a survey devoted to technology leadership.
National priority…
Based on the findings of a January survey conducted by VCIOM, Russians consider it extremely important for a nation to strive for technology excellence (94%). The share of those whose answers are definitely positive is dominant: 76% consider technology leadership to be important; only 18%, likely important.
Striving for technological leadership is an essential thing for a state, according to a vast majority of respondents: men and women (94% and 93% respectively), different generations (85-97%), residents of large cities and rural area (91-97%), respondents with different educational background (81-95%).
…and successes in its achievement
Over the recent four years respondents’ perceptions of Russia as a global technology leader have improved; the share of Russians who consider Russia as a world’s leading technology country has increased from 55% to 65% over the considered period. However, despite positive changes many Russians (31%) are still not confident in the country’s technology leadership. Those who are more likely to believe Russia is a global technology leader are women (71%), respondents with good income (good or very good financial situation — 77%), rural area residents (77%) and the Thaw generation (84%). Men, metropolitan residents, Millennials and Russians with an income below average are more skeptical: the share of those who consider that Russia can qualify for a global technology leader today vary between 44 and 58%.
Areas of technology leadership: expectations and reality
Military technology, nuclear energy and space technology are the three most important technological leadership areas, as viewed by Russians (55%, 52% and 37% respectively). The latter two were mentioned almost equally four years ago (41% and 42% respectively), but today nuclear energy slightly outpaces space industry in terms of technological development, according to the survey findings. A further 20% mention medicine and biotechnology as the most advanced technological areas. Another 20% point to new materials and chemistry, AI and communication (14%, each).
The top five potential technological areas that can increase Russia’s global influence is almost the same as the top five leading areas in terms of technological development. Most of Russians stress the importance of areas such as military technology and nuclear energy (37% and 36% respectively). This is followed, with a huge gap, by space technology (21%), medicine and biotechnology (17%) and artificial intelligence (15%).
Russian VCIOM-Sputnik telephone survey was conducted January 24, 2025. A total of 1,600 respondents aged 18 and older took part in the survey. Survey method: telephone interview, stratified random sample based on a complete list of mobile phone numbers in use in Russia. The data were weighted for socio-demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes to the wording of questions and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
Key effectiveness indicators, survey of 24 January, 2025: cooperation rate (CR)* = 0.7419; minimum response rate (MRR)** = 0.0167; response rate (RR)*** = 0.0732. Calculations are based on corporate standard https://profi.wciom.ru/principy_standarty/korporativnyj-standart-po-izmereniyu-rezultativnosti-oprosov-sputnik-vciom/
* CR: the number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews and b) non-interviews with eligible respondents.
** MRR: the number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews, b) interrupted interviews after successful screening and c) all the respondents where it is unknown whether they meet the selected criteria or not.
** RR is calculated in the same way as MRR, with the only difference that the number of respondents with unknown eligibility decreases proportional to the percentage of eligible cases in the total number of respondents with identified eligibility or non-eligibility.
In your opinion, how important is it for a state to be a leader in technology today? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||
Total | Male | Female | |
Very important | 76 | 77 | 75 |
Likely important | 18 | 17 | 18 |
Likely unimportant | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Not at all important | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Don’t know | 4 | 4 | 4 |
In your opinion, how important is it for a state to be a leader in technology today? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||||||
Total | Digital generation (2001 and later) | Younger Millennials (1992—2000) | Older Millennials (1982—1991) | Reform generation (1968—1981) | Stagnation generation (1948—1967) | Thaw generation (before 1947) | |
Very important | 76 | 68 | 75 | 76 | 81 | 77 | 67 |
Likely important | 18 | 24 | 22 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 18 |
Likely unimportant | 1 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Not at all important | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
Don’t know | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 12 |
In your opinion, can Russia be called one of the world’s leading technology countries, or not?* (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||
2021 | 2025 | |
Definitely yes | 18 | 23 |
Likely yes | 37 | 42 |
Likely no | 25 | 19 |
Definitely no | 16 | 12 |
Don’t know | 4 | 4 |
* In 2021 the question was: “In your opinion, can you call Russia one of the world’s leading technology countries today?”
In your opinion, can Russia be called one of the world’s leading technology countries, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||
Total | Male | Female | |
Definitely yes | 23 | 21 | 24 |
Likely yes | 42 | 37 | 47 |
Likely no | 19 | 22 | 16 |
Definitely no | 12 | 16 | 9 |
Don’t know | 4 | 4 | 4 |
In your opinion, can Russia be called one of the world’s leading technology countries, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||||||
Total | Digital generation (2001 and later) | Younger Millennials (1992—2000) | Older Millennials (1982—1991) | Reform generation (1968—1981) | Stagnation generation (1948—1967) | Thaw generation (before 1947) | |
Definitely yes | 23 | 28 | 15 | 18 | 23 | 24 | 34 |
Likely yes | 42 | 45 | 41 | 37 | 40 | 46 | 50 |
Likely no | 19 | 15 | 32 | 24 | 18 | 15 | 8 |
Definitely no | 12 | 10 | 10 | 17 | 14 | 9 | 5 |
Don’t know | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
In your opinion, in which of the following areas does Russia have a leading technology position today? (closed-ended question, any number of answers, % of total respondents) | ||
| 2021 | 2025 |
Military technology* | 65 | 55 |
Nuclear energy | 41 | 52 |
Space technology | 42 | 37 |
Medicine, biotechnology** | 25 | 20 |
New materials and chemistry*** | - | 14 |
Artificial intelligence*** | - | 14 |
Communication | 9 | 14 |
Machine building | 11 | 13 |
Robotics*** | - | 12 |
Quantum technology*** | - | 9 |
Gene engineering, biotechnology | 13 | - |
IT technology | 11 | - |
Any area*** | - | 4 |
None*** | - | 5 |
Other | 7 | 4 |
Don’t know | 9 | 10 |
* “defense industry” in 2021
** “medicine” in 2021
*** Answer options were added in 202
In your opinion, which technology industry can help Russia increase its global influence in the future? Up to 2 answers (closed-ended question, up to 2 answers, % of total respondents) | |
Military technology | 37 |
Nuclear energy | 36 |
Space technology | 21 |
Medicine, biotechnology | 17 |
Artificial intelligence | 15 |
New materials and chemistry | 7 |
Machine building | 6 |
Quantum technology | 5 |
Robotics | 5 |
Communication | 3 |
All the above mentioned | 2 |
None of the above-mentioned | 2 |
Other | 3 |
Don’t know | 11 |