Twelve per cent of Russians want to leave Russia but only 4% consider it doable - poll
MOSCOW. Aug 4 (Interfax) - The attitude of Russian citizens towards fellow citizens, who moved permanently abroad, is loyal, but most Russians do not plan to emigrate themselves, the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM) said.
A total of 74% of Russians do not condemn people who leave to reside abroad permanently and 19% do condemn, most often elderly people (37%) and less often young individuals (10%), sociologists said.
Twenty per cent of Russians think that the number of people leaving forever will grow in the coming years, 24% are certain it will decrease, and 56% failed to respond, the survey showed.
When asked why fellow citizens leave Russia, 9% said "in search of better life and better financial position", 2% each said because "nothing good happens and no prospects exist," people are looking for decent job, social guaranteed and possibility of self-fulfillment, and 1% said people "go to where order and supremacy of law are" and "because of sanctions and fearing war."
However, when asked "are you personally ready to go abroad forever?," 84% of respondents said no, 12% said yes (24% among young people and 29% among young people with higher education), while only 4% think that such plans will be fulfilled, sociologists said.
According to the information of the FOM, in 2012 a total of 17% of Russians wanted to leave the country and 33% among young people supported this stance.
In the past two years the number of people among respondent friends and family, who went to live abroad permanently, decreased from 35% to 33%.
The poll was held on July 26-27 among 1,500 respondents in 100 urban and rural settlements in 43 Russian regions.