Russians Almost Equally Divided on Whether They Trust One Another, VTsIOM Poll Finds

Paul Goble

            Staunton, June 28 – Forty-eight percent of Russians say their fellow citizens trust one another, while 44 percent say they don’t, with women, those with more education and income more likely than men and those with less schooling and money to say they do, and with young people less likely to trust than their elders, according to a new VTsIOM poll.

            According to the agency, “the formation of trust between people in the view of Russians depends primarily on personal qualities and behavior of other people, the situation in the country and in life, and also on how close relations are with others” (wciom.ru/analytical-reviews/analiticheskii-obzor/nuzhno-doverjat-drug-drugu-ili-net).

            Because trust is such an important element in a society’s ability to function, the high levels of mistrust among the young are worrisome; but the higher levels of trust among those with more education and higher incomes may mean that trust will grow if the economy does. If the economy doesn’t grow, however, trust among Russians is likely to decline.