Pursuit of better life, self-actualization prompts emigration from Russia – poll

July 17, 2013 JRL Russia List Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Population Disaster, Demographics

File Photo of Crowd of Russians with One Waving Russian Flag

(Interfax – MOSCOW, July 16, 2013) The pursuit of a better life is the primary cause of emigration from Russia, said 54% of respondents acquainted with prospective emigrants.

Sixteen percent explained their emigration as a desire for self-actualization, the Russian Public Opinion Study Center (VTsIOM) told Interfax.

Five percent of prospective emigrants believe that life abroad is better organized and three percent claim that it is safer. Another three percent wish to reunite with their families and friends and one percent simply likes the country of emigration or seeks a successful marriage, the respondents said.

At the same time, 70% of 1,600 respondents polled by VTsIOM in 130 towns and cities in 42 regions on July 13-14 said they had no acquaintances who wished to leave the country.

In the opinion of 21% of the respondents, emigration had been falling in recent years. Some 37% argued that the emigration rates had remained unchanged, and 29% claimed that emigration is on the rise.

A decline in emigration was mostly alleged by residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg (28%) and respondents aged from 45 to 59 (26%). People in cities with a population from 100,000 to 500,000 (37%) and respondents aged from 18 to 24 (37%) claimed the opposite.

[featured image is file photo of random crowd in Russia]