This survey took place between August 23–30, 2018 and was conducted throughout all of Russia in both urban and rural settings. The survey was carried out among 1600 people over the age of 18 in 136 localities of 52 of the country’s regions. The survey was conducted as a personal interview in respondents’ homes. The answer distribution is presented as percentages of the number of participants.
The statistical error of these studies for a selection of 1600 people (with a probability of 0.95) does not exceed:
3.4% for indicators around 50%
2.9% for indicators around 25%/75%
2.0% for indicators around 10%/90%
1.5% for indicators around 5%/95%
A large part of the field work for this survey was done before Vladimir Putin announced the “softening” of the pension reforms.
THERE IS AN ONGOING DISCUSSION IN RUSSIA ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A NATIONWIDE REFERENDUM ON CHANGING THE RETIREMENT AGE, I.E. THE AGE AT WHICH ONE CAN RECEIVE A PENSION. IF THIS REFERENDUM WERE TO BE HELD NEXT SUNDAY, WOULD YOU ATTEND, AND IF SO, HOW WOULD YOU VOTE: “FOR” KEEPING THE CURRENT RETIREMENT AGE OR “AGAINST” KEEPING THE CURRENT RETIREMENT AGE (one answer)
| Aug. 18 | |
| I would vote “for” keeping the current retirement age | 77 |
| I would vote “against” keeping the current retirement age | 10 |
| I would destroy/take away the ballot | 1 |
| I would attend the referendum, but I do not know how I would vote | 1 |
| I would not attend the referendum | 7 |
| I don’t know whether or not I would attend the referendum | 3 |
| It is difficult to say | 1 |
IF A DEMONSTRATION AGAINST PENSION REFORM IS HELD IN YOUR CITY/RURAL AREA, WILL YOU PARTICIPATE OR NOT? (one answer)
| Jul. 98 | Aug. 18 | |
| I most likely will | 37 | 53 |
| I most likely will not | 53 | 42 |
| It is difficult to say | 9 | 5 |
The Levada Center has previously published the results of the June survey, which showed that more than 80% of Russians were against raising the retirement age.
Distribution of responses according to the retirement age
(55 for women and 60 for men)
| Total sample |
Respondents who have NOT reached the age of retirement (69% of the sample) |
Respondents who have reached the retirement age (31% of the sample) |
|
|
IF A NATIONWIDE REFERENDUM ON CHANGING THE RETIREMENT AGE IS HELD IN RUSSIA NEXT SUNDAY, WILL YOU ATTEND, AND IF SO, HOW WILL YOU VOTE? |
|||
| I would vote “for” keeping the current retirement age | 77 | 79 | 74 |
| I would vote “against” keeping the current retirement age | 10 | 9 | 13 |
| I would destroy/take away the ballot | 1 | 1 | <1 |
| I would attend the referendum, but I do not know how I would vote | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| I would not attend the referendum | 7 | 6 | 9 |
| I don’t know whether or not I would attend the referendum | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| It is difficult to say | 1 | 1 | 2 |
|
IF A DEMONSTRATION AGAINST PENSION REFORM IS HELD IN YOUR CITY/RURAL AREA, WILL YOU PARTICIPATE OR NOT? |
|||
| I most likely would | 53 | 58 | 44 |
| I most likely would not | 42 | 39 | 49 |
| It is difficult to say | 5 | 4 | 7 |
Distribution of responses according to voting preferences
(there are only three parties in the table for whom the number of respondents ready to vote for them next Sunday is significantly represented in the sample)
| Total sample | United Russia | LDPR | CPRF | |
|
IF A NATIONWIDE REFERENDUM ON CHANGING THE RETIREMENT AGE IS HELD IN RUSSIA NEXT SUNDAY, WILL YOU ATTEND, AND IF SO, HOW WILL YOU VOTE? |
||||
| I would vote “for” keeping the current retirement age | 77 | 76 | 84 | 88 |
| I would vote “against” keeping the current retirement age | 10 | 13 | 7 | 8 |
| I would destroy/take away the ballot | 1 | 1 | – | 1 |
| I would attend the referendum, but I do not know how I would vote | 1 | 1 | – | 1 |
| I would not attend the referendum | 7 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| I don’t know whether or not I would attend the referendum | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| It is difficult to say | 1 | 1 | – | 1 |
|
IF A DEMONSTRATION AGAINST PENSION REFORM IS HELD IN YOUR CITY/RURAL AREA, WILL YOU PARTICIPATE OR NOT? |
||||
| I most likely would | 53 | 44 | 71 | 59 |
| I most likely would not | 42 | 53 | 26 | 33 |
| It is difficult to say | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
Translated by Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (formerly Monterey Institute of International Studies).
The ANO Levada Center has been forcibly included in the registry of non-commercial organizations acting as foreign agents. Read the Director of the Levada Center’s statement of disagreement with this decision here.