20 Years Later: How Russian’s Expectations Have Changed

We conducted a survey to understand what Russians personal expectations are for 2022 and compared the results with the data of 2001.

35% of the respondents expect an improvement in their finances, whereas in 2002 this number was higher at 49%In 2022. Today young people aged 25–34 (47%) and people aged 35–44 (42%) are the most optimistic about the future of their finances.

The number of those who expect their financial situation to worsen, on the contrary, has increased from 4% to 10%. Almost a quarter of Russians do not expect anything from the coming year (26% in 2021, 23% in 2001). This is led by people who are over 60 (45%).

14% are looking for changing their employment (up from 12% in 2001), those expecting a promotion within their existing employment increased by 1% (from 8% 9n 2001 to 9% in 2021).

Those expecting to move to a new housing increased by 1% in comparison to 2001 (from 7 to 8%). 6% of the respondents have plans to get married this year (up from 5% in 2001), 3% are expecting a child (down from 4% in 2001).

Mostly people aged 25–34 plan to have a child; as for marriage, it is more often planned by the digital generation representatives (18–24 years).

Expectations of improvement in the financial situation prevail among the residents of the Urals (66%), Southern (44%) and Siberian (38%) Federal Districts. The residents of the Central Federal District are more interested in job promotion (15%), residents of the Far Eastern Federal District – in moving to a new apartment (17%). There are also more people willing to get married among the inhabitants of the Far Eastern Federal District (14%). Half of the residents of the North Caucasian Federal District have no expectation for 2022 (50%). The residents of the Northwestern Federal District (16%) and the Central Federal District (14%) more often expect a worsening in their financial situation.

The higher the level of education of Russians, the greater their ambitions are within the professional sphere. Among people with higher education, 12% are expecting a salary raise. While only 8% of the people with secondary education and below expect to be promoted.

Improvement in financial situation is expected by people with a higher level of income (upwards of 25K per family member) – 41%.

“Today, like 20 years ago, we are on our way to overcoming a crisis. We see that the shocks the society is facing are mainly related to the economic situation. This is reflected both in the expectations of an improvement in the financial situation and in career development plans,” said Andrey Milekhin, President of Romir, Doctor of Sociology.