About half of Russians look at their own future and the future of Russia with calmness and confidence, but positive assessments have been decreasing slightly in the last two years. Almost half of the respondents have no plans for the future. About the same number say they don’t know what will happen to them even in the coming months. Approximately one in five respondents plans their lives for 5-6 years or more ahead. They have more positive assessments of the future, and they also plan their lives for a longer period of time, most often young people who are more affluent and loyal to government policies.

The dynamics of ideas about one’s own future and the future of Russia are generally similar, but assessments of one’s personal future remain more positive throughout the observation period. Positive ratings have been growing since the early 2010s and peaked at the end of 2023, and have been decreasing slightly since 2024.

Half of Russians look at their own future rather calmly, with confidence, their share has decreased slightly over the past two years (by 4 percentage points since November 2023). 43% of respondents are more likely to look into their future with concern and apprehension (an increase of 4 percentage points since November 2024).

Men (59%), young people under the age of 25 (68%), more affluent respondents (70% among those who can afford long-term goods), residents of Moscow (63%), those who believe that things are going well in the country, are more likely to look into their own future with calmness and confidence. in the right direction (63%), those who approve of V.Putin’s activity as President (58%).

The most frequently concerned and apprehensive about their future are women (49%), older respondents (48% among respondents aged 55 and older), less affluent respondents (66% among those who barely have enough to eat), inhabitants of large cities (cities with a population of 100,000 to 500,000 – 49%, cities with a population of over 500,000 – 47%), those who believe that the country is heading in the wrong direction (67%), and those who disapprove of the current president’s actions (67%). 

The level of optimism is slightly decreasing, not only about their own future, but also about the future of Russia as a whole – up to 50% (a decrease of 5 percentage points since November 2024). The level of negative expectations is growing to 44% (an increase of 4 percentage points since November 2024).

Those who view Russia’s future with calmness and confidence more often than others are men (55%), young people under 25 (65%), respondents with secondary education and below (57%), more affluent respondents (60% among those who can afford durable goods), residents of Moscow (60%), those who believe that the country is moving in the right direction (65%), and those who approve of Vladimir Putin’s performance as president (57%).

Respondents who view Russia’s future with concern and apprehension are most often women (48%), older respondents (47% among respondents aged 40 and older), respondents with higher education (47%), less affluent respondents (58% among those who barely have enough to eat), residents of large cities (cities with a population of 100,000 to 500,000 – 47%, cities with a population of over 500,000 – 47%), those who believe that the country is on the wrong track (78%), and those who disapprove of the current president’s performance (82%).

Most Russians either don’t make plans for the future, or they plan their lives for the next year or two. Thus, about half of the respondents usually do not make plans for the future, their share has reached the highest figures for the entire observation period – 44% (an increase of 6 percentage points since February 2020). About a third of the respondents (32%) plan their lives for the next year or two. Another 7% of the respondents set goals for 10 years. At the same time, 6% of respondents think that their family’s life will not change significantly in the future, and 8% of respondents believe that serious changes await their lives.

The share of those who usually do not make plans for the future is higher among older respondents (54% among respondents aged 55 and older), respondents with professional, as well as secondary education and lower (48% and 49%, respectively) less affluent respondents (57% among those who barely have enough for food).

The share of those who plan their lives for the next year or two is higher among respondents aged 25-39 (40%), respondents with higher education (41%), and more affluent respondents (38% among those who can afford durable goods).

Despite the fact that Russians still have a short-term planning horizon, it has been gradually expanding in recent months. Thus, 6% of respondents plan their lives for many years ahead (an increase of 3 percentage points since November 2023), 14% of respondents plan for the next 5-6 years (an increase of 3 percentage points since November 2023), and a third of respondents plan for the next 1-2 years (29%, a decrease of November 5, 2023). At the same time, almost half of the respondents (48%) cannot plan their future even for the coming months.

Young people under the age of 25 (31%), respondents with secondary education and below (23%), more affluent respondents (29% among those who can afford durable goods), those who believe that things are going well are more likely to plan their future for the next 5-6 years and for many years ahead. the country is moving in the right direction (25%), those who approve of V.Putin’s work as President (23%).

Young people under the age of 25 are more likely to plan their future for the next 1-2 years (38%), respondents with higher education (37%), more affluent respondents (35% among those who can afford durable goods), those who believe that things in the country are going in the right direction (32%), those who approve of V.Putin’s activities as president (30%).

Most frequently, older respondents (57% of those aged 55 and above), respondents with secondary education and below (53%), less affluent respondents (67% of those who barely have enough to eat), those who believe that things will not improve in the near future (53%), and those who are not sure what the future holds (53%) do not know what will happen to them even in the coming months. respondents with secondary education and below (53%), less affluent respondents (67% among those who barely have enough to eat), those who believe that the country is on the wrong track (57%), and those who disapprove of the current president’s performance (67%).