One in four Russians have thought about emigrating abroad in 2016, with many attracted to the idea by a percieved “higher quality of life,” a poll by the independent Levada Center revealed Tuesday.
Of the 25 percent of Russians considering life abroad, 19 percent of Russians say that they would emigrate permanently outside the borders of the former Soviet Union if given the chance — five percent more than last year. The “unstable Russian economy,” a “better quality of life abroad,” and “the chance to give my children a better future,” were the top three motivations for those wishing to move.
Levada Center General Director Lev Gudkov told the Kommersant newspaper that he believed the poll reflected dissatisfaction with the current situation in Russia rather than a real desire to leave.
Gudkov said that only 0.5 percent of Russians did move abroad, and the current economic situation had reduced the financial possibility of emigration for many.
The Levada Center carried out the survey between May 27 and May 30, interviewing 800 adults over the age of 18 across 48 Russian regions.
The margin of error stands at 4.1 percent.
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