More than half of the respondents hope that the coming year will be better for them than the previous one. Three quarters of respondents look forward to the future with hope. More than half of the respondents fear that the coming year will be more stressful for the Russian economy and political sphere. At the same time, two thirds of respondents believe that the coming year will be more peaceful for them personally.
More than half of the respondents (57%) hope that next year will be better than the outgoing one, and another 14% are sure that it will definitely be better. 3% believe that the new year will be worse than the outgoing one.
Compared to 2023 how do you think 2024 will turn out for you? (table)
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
| Definitely better | 9 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 14 |
| I hope it will be better | 48 | 49 | 50 | 50 | 48 | 40 | 41 | 46 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 60 | 48 | 56 | 57 |
| I think it will not be worse | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 12 | 14 |
| Nothing will probably change | 13 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 9 |
| Next year will probably be worse than this one | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 |
| Can’t say | 7 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 3 |
Since 2021, the number of Russians who look forward to the coming year with hope has been growing, 75% of respondents said this in December 2023. 13% of respondents look forward to the coming year with anxiety. (This question was first developed at the Allensbach Institute of Demoscopy in the late 1940s, the dynamics of the answers can be found on the institute’s website.)
Are you feeling hopeful, uncertain or anxious about the coming year? (table)
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
| Hopeful | 50 | 51 | 51 | 47 | 43 | 57 | 62 | 64 | 71 | 64 | 63 | 67 | 75 |
| Uncertain | 21 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 23 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 8 |
| Anxious | 25 | 20 | 19 | 25 | 28 | 17 | 16 | 20 | 17 | 25 | 22 | 22 | 13 |
| Can’t say | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Since last year, the proportion of respondents expecting the coming year to be calm for them and their families has increased slightly (from 55% to 63%). Every third person (31%) thinks that the coming year will be stressful.
Do you think the coming year will be calm or stressful for your family and you personally? (table)
| 2005 | 2006 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
| Calm | 60 | 59 | 64 | 55 | 65 | 64 | 48 | 37 | 58 | 60 | 65 | 48 | 58 | 55 | 63 |
| Stressful | 27 | 19 | 19 | 31 | 17 | 18 | 40 | 52 | 33 | 34 | 28 | 47 | 36 | 40 | 31 |
| Can’t say | 14 | 22 | 18 | 14 | 19 | 18 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
The majority of Russians (58%) believe that the coming year will be stressful for the Russian economy, it is worth noting that their share decreased by 12 % compared to last year, 70% expected that 2023 would be stressful for the economy. The share of respondents who believe that next year will be quiet for the Russian economy increased by 11% compared to the previous measurement – up to 32%.
Do you think the coming year will be calm or stressful for the Russian economy? (table)
| 2005 | 2006 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
| Calm | 43 | 46 | 46 | 26 | 46 | 48 | 20 | 11 | 31 | 25 | 31 | 17 | 26 | 21 | 32 |
| Stressful | 41 | 29 | 30 | 55 | 32 | 30 | 71 | 81 | 59 | 65 | 57 | 73 | 62 | 70 | 58 |
| Can’t say | 17 | 26 | 25 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 10 |
In 2023, the share of respondents who believe that the coming year will be quiet for political life in Russia increased by 12% (to 31%). However, the majority of Russians (59%) believe that next year will be stressful for political life.
Do you think the coming year will be calm or stressful for the political life in Russia? (table)
| 2005 | 2006 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
| Calm | 39 | 42 | 43 | 22 | 45 | 47 | 22 | 17 | 30 | 26 | 31 | 28 | 26 | 19 | 31 |
| Stressful | 39 | 30 | 32 | 61 | 32 | 29 | 66 | 71 | 58 | 63 | 55 | 62 | 60 | 70 | 59 |
| Can’t say | 22 | 28 | 25 | 17 | 24 | 25 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 11 |
METHODOLOGY
The survey by the Levada Center was conducted December 14 – 20 2023, among a representative sample of all Russian urban and rural residents. The sample consisted of 1606 people aged 18 or older in 137 municipalities of 50 regions of the Russian Federation. The survey was conducted as a personal interview in respondents’ homes. The distribution of responses is given as a percentage of the total number of respondents.
The statistical error of these studies for a sample 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%