VTsIOM poll: 60% link well-being primarily to personal effort

In a VTsIOM poll, 60% of respondents said personal well-being depended primarily on individuals themselves, while 33% cited how society is organised. RBC published the findings on October 15.

In 2000, the pattern was reversed: 59% linked well-being to society's organisation and 41% to personal effort.

Among respondents describing their financial position as good or very good, 75% emphasised individual responsibility. Among those describing it as poor or very poor, 37% held that view.

A good education was an aim that 59% said they had achieved or could achieve through their abilities, with another 8% choosing probably could. The corresponding figures were 26% and 21% for career advancement and 28% and 18% for obtaining a prestigious job.

Starting a business was considered achievable by 13%, while another 12% said they probably could. The figures for becoming wealthy were 10% and 17%. Meanwhile, 45% had not planned to start a business and 31% had not planned to become wealthy.

Six percent said they could join society's elite or had already done so, with another 6% choosing probably could. More than half, 54%, had not planned to do so.

According to RBC, the September 19, 2026 survey included 1,600 Russian adults. Results were weighted by demographic characteristics, with a reported maximum margin of error of 2.5% at a 95% confidence level.