9% of respondents are thinking about emigration and want to move. Another same percentage previously intended to leave their homeland but have long since changed their minds. 1% of respondents lived in another country but returned. 2% of citizens found it difficult to answer.
While among young people aged 18 to 24, the number of those who do not want to leave the country is 69%, among people over 60 it is 91%. However, those wishing to leave among young people is much higher (20%) than among the elderly (2%). Among young people, 5% previously wanted to emigrate but then changed their minds, compared to 4% among the elderly.
The number of those who have already experienced emigration turned out to be equal on both sides - 1%. Among the younger generation, 5% were undecided, and among people over 60, 4%.
Overall, the prevailing opinion among Russians is that emigrating from the country where one grew up and received an education is dishonest, wrong, and unpatriotic (54%). Disagreeing with them and believing that a person should live where they are more comfortable are 37% of respondents. 9% found it difficult to answer.
However, young people are less patriotic compared to people over 60, the survey data shows. Among 54% of young people, emigration is not considered a dishonest act. Only 17% of the older generation agree with them. For the majority of people over 60 (70%), the very idea of emigration evokes hostility. 40% of young people hold the same opinion.
According to VTsIOM, 79% of respondents would like to be born in Russia. Other states as a possible birthplace received an insignificant number of votes. 6% of Russians could not answer.
Africa is the most unpopular place where a Russian would like to be born: 11% of respondents voted against the Black Continent. The second country that Russian citizens would not want as their homeland is the USA (7%). 6% of respondents again would not want to be born in Russia itself. Another 7% do not wish to be born in China and Asian countries. Israel, Iraq, Iran, and Arab countries each received 2% of the votes, while CIS countries and Germany received 1% each. 'There is no such country, I don't care,' said 25% of citizens, 5% named their own country options, and 31% found it difficult to answer.
The initiative all-Russian survey by VTsIOM was conducted on July 19-20, 2008. It involved 1,600 people from 140 localities in 42 oblasts, krais, and republics of Russia. The statistical margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.
RIA Novosti