Specialists of the Levada Centre conducted a study and found out that 64 per cent of Russians consider Russia a non-European country (versus 29 per cent of those who consider it European). In 2019, these indicators were 55 per cent and 37 per cent, respectively.
On the whole, since 2008 the number of those who believe that Russia is a European country has dropped by almost half, from 52 per cent to 29 per cent. The number of those who think otherwise has also changed, it has grown from 36 per cent to 64 per cent.
At the same time, the point of view that Russia is a European country is most popular among older groups of Russians. In the age group 55 and older, 33 per cent of respondents think so. The opposite point of view is widespread among young people: 71 per cent for respondents aged 18-24 and 69 per cent for the group of 25-39 do not consider Russia to be European.
In addition, the share of Russians who do not consider themselves Europeans also keeps growing: 52 per cent in 2008, 63 per cent in 2019, and 70 per cent in 2021. Thus, of the group of respondents aged 18-24 and 25-39, only 23 per cent consider themselves to be Europeans.
It is specified that the survey was conducted on February 18-24, 2021, on a representative all-Russian sample of the urban and rural population of 1,601 people aged 18 and over in 137 settlements, 50 constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
Ru-Main, 19.03.2021
