Protest sentiment

In mid-February, 29% of Russians considered protests with economic demands possible, 23% were ready to take part in them. Mass demonstrations with political demands were considered possible by 29% of respondents, while 18% were ready to participate in them. The most protesting groups were low-income respondents, those who believe that the country is moving in the wrong direction, and those who disapprove of the president’s activities. The survey was conducted on February 17-21.

The number of Russians expecting protests with economic demands in mid-February has hardly changed compared to the end of autumn 2021: in November 2021, 30% of respondents considered these protests possible, in February this year — 29%. At the same time, the willingness to participate in such protests increased slightly: 21% in November 2021, 23% in February 2022.

Потенциал протеста с экономическими требованиями

Вполне возможны*

Приняли бы участие**

05.1994	06.1994	07.1994	08.1994	09.1994	11.1994	01.1995	03.1995	05.1995	07.1995	09.1995	11.1995	01.1996	03.1996	05.1996	07.1996	09.1996	11.1996	01.1997	03.1997	05.1997	07.1997	09.1997	11.1997	01.1998	03.1998	05.1998	07.1998	09.1998	11.1998	01.1999	03.1999	05.1999	07.1999	09.1999	11.1999	01.2000	03.2000	05.2000	07.2000	09.2000	11.2000	01.2001	03.2001	05.2001	07.2001	09.2001	11.2001	01.2002	03.2002	05.2002	07.2002	09.2002	11.2002	01.2003	03.2003	05.2003	07.2003	09.2003	11.2003	01.2004	03.2004	05.2004	07.2004	09.2004	11.2004	01.2005	03.2005	05.2005	07.2005	09.2005	11.2005	01.2006	03.2006	05.2006	07.2006	09.2006	11.2006	01.2007	03.2007	05.2007	07.2007	09.2007	11.2007	01.2008	03.2008	09.2008	12.2008	02.2009	03.2009	06.2009	08.2009	10.2009	12.2009	02.2010	04.2010	05.2010	08.2010	10.2010	12.2010	02.2011	04.2011	06.2011	08.2011	10.2011	12.2011	02.2012	04.2012	06.2012	08.2012	10.2012	12.2012	02.2013	04.2013	06.2013	08.2013	02.2014	04.2014	06.2014	08.2014	10.2014	12.2014	02.2015	04.2015	06.2015	08.2015	10.2015	12.2015	02.2016	04.2016	08.2016	10.2016	12.2016	02.2017	04.2017	06.2017	09.2017	12.2017	03.2018	07.2018	11.2018	02.2019	05.2019	08.2019	11.2019	02.2020	05.2020	07.2020	11.2020	01.2021	05.2021	08.2021	11.2021	02.2022	05.2022
33	31	25	27	26	27	27	30	27	27	27	26	23	25	24	21	28	40	30	45	40	35	29	29	31	34	43	40	48	43	36	37	31	32	28	23	18	21	16	19	19	20	17	23	21	17	15	20	16	20	19	17	17	24	21	26	21	20	20	18	19	19	19	22	24	24	25	36	32	26	23	32	25	37	34	31	28	22	20	30	30	23	21	22	18	21	18	23	39	31	25	22	21	25	27	30	26	25	25	26	28	28	26	25	29	29	35	29	31	27	30	28	28	25	25	22	28	21	19	17	17	24	23	20	18	17	18	21	24	19	18	18	15	19	27	28	26	23	17	41	37	34	26	34	30	26	27	30	25	43	30	26	30	29	17
26	25	22	22	21	21	26	25	24	25	23	23	24	23	19	19	22	26	27	31	25	22	23	21	25	26	27	27	33	24	29	28	27	28	24	24	20	15	17	19	18	18	19	24	22	20	17	18	17	20	21	18	20	20	24	26	22	22	19	17	22	19	21	22	22	23	27	27	24	22	22	16	23	26	23	25	25	19	22	25	23	20	22	17	18	22	18	20	23	26	18	18	16	17	20	20	17	18	20	21	19	23	23	21	19	19	17	16	17	17	13	14	17	17	16	16	14	14	15	8	12	14	12	15	10	13	11	13	16	11	12	12	12	12	16	15	14	13	8	28	30	26	27	27	25	24	28	29	23	17	21	24	21	23	14

The low-income groups of respondents are most prone to protest sentiment, as well as those believing the country is moving on the wrong path and those disapproving of the president’s policies. In mid-February, 29% of those who can barely afford food would most likely take part in potential protests with economic demands as well as 33% of those who believe that the country is moving on the wrong path and 39% of those who disapprove of the president’s activities.

The assessment of the potential of protests with political demands has increased: in November 2021, 27% of Russians considered them possible, in February 2022 – 29%. The willingness to participate in such protests has hardly changed: 17% would have participated in such protests last November, this February the number was 18%.

Потенциал протеста с политическими требованиями

До августа 2009 г. вопрос о готовности принять участие в протестах не задавался

Вполне возможны*

Приняли бы участие**

03.1997	05.1997	07.1997	09.1997	11.1997	01.1998	03.1998	05.1998	07.1998	09.1998	11.1998	01.1999	03.1999	05.1999	07.1999	09.1999	11.1999	01.2000	03.2000	05.2000	07.2000	09.2000	11.2000	01.2001	03.2001	05.2001	07.2001	09.2001	10.2001	11.2001	01.2002	03.2002	05.2002	07.2002	09.2002	01.2003	03.2003	05.2003	07.2003	09.2003	11.2003	01.2004	03.2004	05.2004	07.2004	09.2004	11.2004	01.2005	03.2005	05.2005	07.2005	09.2005	11.2005	01.2006	03.2006	05.2006	07.2006	09.2006	11.2006	01.2007	03.2007	05.2007	07.2007	09.2007	11.2007	01.2008	03.2008	09.2008	08.2009	10.2009	12.2009	02.2010	04.2010	06.2010	08.2010	10.2010	12.2010	02.2011	04.2011	06.2011	08.2011	10.2011	12.2011	02.2012	04.2012	06.2012	08.2012	10.2012	12.2012	02.2013	04.2013	06.2013	08.2013	10.2013	12.2013	02.2014	04.2014	06.2014	08.2014	10.2014	12.2014	02.2015	04.2015	06.2015	08.2015	10.2015	12.2015	02.2016	04.2016	08.2016	10.2016	12.2016	02.2017	04.2017	06.2017	09.2017	12.2017	03.2018	07.2018	11.2018	02.2019	05.2019	08.2019	11.2019	02.2020	11.2020	01.2021	05.2021	08.2021	11.2021	02.2022	05.2022
41	37	36	28	32	31	32	37	40	49	50	38	39	37	37	32	25	16	15	12	14	15	13	13	24	20	19	17	20	20	17	19	18	18	16	20	22	21	21	20	18	18	17	18	20	21	21	21	27	28	22	19	24	24	24	23	22	22	20	16	28	20	18	18	18	16	16	13	17	15	18	20	22	22	20	19	20	23	21	19	20	23	26	33	26	24	23	24	22	21	22	21	19	26	18	23	17	14	12	12	16	16	15	14	15	14	17	18	15	15	14	12	14	23	23	21	19	12	34	30	28	24	30	29	24	23	45	28	27	27	29	16
																																																																				13	9	11	13	14	13	12	13	13	13	19	11	15	15	17	14	12	11	11	11	11	12	12	11	10	14	9	10	10	9	7	8	9	10	11	8	10	8	10	12	8	10	10	9	8	13	12	11	8	6	23	22	20	22	20	19	19	19	15	16	19	17	18	9

Similar to mass protests with economic demands, low-income respondents (21% of those who barelycan afford food), as well as those who believe that the country is moving in the wrong direction (28%)as well as those who disapprove of the president’s activities (35%) were most ready for protests with political demands in mid-February.

METHODOLOGY

METHODOLOGY

The survey by the Levada Center was conducted January 17 – February 21, among a representative sample of all Russian urban and rural residents. The sample was comprised of 1626 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 answer distribution is presented as percentages of the total number of participants along with data from previous surveys.

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%

The ANO Levada Center is included in the registry of non-commercial organizations acting as foreign agents.

Levada-Center

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