Russian Public Opinion in Wartime

People walk at snow-covered Red Square in Moscow, Russia

Problem

There is little recent, trustworthy data on Russian public opinion toward Putin, the war in Ukraine, and related issues.

Given the current spotlight on Russia with the war in Ukraine, NORC saw a lack of trustworthy opinion polls with Russian citizens. Conducting a poll in Russia presents many challenges, including limitations on freedom of speech and Russia’s involvement in a military conflict in which NORC’s home country is supporting their adversary.

Solution

NORC leveraged its international data collection capabilities to conduct a mobile phone survey of Russian adults.

By cultivating relationships with international vendors, we were able to maintain our robust methodological standards while using native Russian speakers to conduct the interviews in Russian.

1,046 Russian adults completed the survey. The overall margin of sampling error is +/-3.4 percentage points.

Result

The survey finds strong support for Putin and the Ukraine invasion, even in the face of stagnating living standards.

Our survey found that most Russians have experienced little material improvement in their quality of life. Sixty-five percent of those experiencing worsening economic conditions attribute setbacks to rising prices. Despite facing international sanctions and travel restrictions, 76% of respondents feel unaffected by restrictions on their international travel. On the political front, while President Putin's leadership enjoys broad approval, especially for his foreign policy, his domestic ratings are slightly lower. Notably, 66% of Russians are inclined to vote for Putin for re-election in March 2024, with women and those over 30 showing stronger endorsement. Additionally, the poll highlights Russia's robust national pride, with 94% expressing pride in their identity. The poll also underscores their grievances, with 62% feeling that Russia being treated unfairly globally and 68% wary of Western cultural influences, especially regarding the LGBTQ+ movement.

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Project Leads

Vadim Volos

Vice President

Principal Investigator

“While Putin enjoyed stronger public support through his long tenure as the country’s leader than that registered in this poll, and the well-being of many Russians took a hit or stalled since the invasion, the Russian public on the whole views their country’s actions in Ukraine as a justified response to the outside threat.”

Vadim Volos

Vice President

“While Putin enjoyed stronger public support through his long tenure as the country’s leader than that registered in this poll, and the well-being of many Russians took a hit or stalled since the invasion, the Russian public on the whole views their country’s actions in Ukraine as a justified response to the outside threat.”