Elderly Russia: how does the 30 millionth generation live?

VTSIOM press release No. 1325 dated 29.09.2009

MOSCOW, September 29, 2009 The All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM) presents data on what Russians think about the elderly, how, in the opinion of our fellow citizens, their rights are respected, whether the retirement age should be raised and what our compatriots expect to live in old age.

What is old age?The majority of Russians feel respect at the sight of an elderly person (57%).

Respondents younger than 44 years (61-63%) report this more often. 38% of people of retirement age cause pity, 35% have a desire to help (to the greatest extent – among 18-24–year-olds – 42%). One in five feels a sense of injustice (21%) and anger at the state (20%) – such emotions are more characteristic of Russians over 60 (28 and 25%, respectively). The elderly are the least likely to cause our fellow citizens a feeling of awkwardness (8%), admiration, pride in the country, calmness (4% each), irritation (2%).    

Old people for us are first of all wise (19%) and kind (14%). 11% attribute grouchiness to them, 10% – reasonableness, 9% – conscientiousness. 6% consider older people polite, decent, 5% – painful, naive, responsive. Among other epithets are courageous (4%), apathetic, economical, embittered, boring, desperate (3% each), patriotic, stupid, conservative, poor, suspicious, generous, sincere (2% each), sociable, proud, cheerful (1% each). 

Old age occurs at the age of 60-64 years, according to a quarter of respondents (25%). Another 18% are sure that an elderly person becomes 70-74 years old. 2% suggest considering a person old starting from 40-49 years, 9% – from 50-54 years, 7% – from 55-59 years and from 65-69 years, 4% – from 75-79 years and from 80-89 years. Another 1% believe that an elderly person is over 90 years old. However, 5% believe that old age occurs at different ages for all people, 2% associate this concept with the end of work, and 1% – with the onset of health problems. 

Older age scares Russians mainly with the threat of loss of health (11%), poverty, helplessness and loneliness (8% each). 2% are afraid that uncertainty will come with old age, another 2% are afraid of death. Russians are the least likely   they are worried because of a bad attitude towards the elderly and changes in appearance (1% each). However, the relative majority of our fellow citizens are not afraid of old age (43%), and one in five does not think about it at all (55%).

The rights of the elderly in Russia are rather not respected. Compared to 2005, there are more supporters of this opinion (67% vs. 59%, respectively). Only one in five is sure that the rights of older people are respected (21%, in 2005 – 37%).

How to live in retirement?Savings are a more significant condition for well–being in old age than an interesting life, our fellow citizens believe.

Nevertheless, over the past decade, there have been fewer supporters of the first point of view (53% vs. 60% in 1998), and those who adhere to the second position – on the contrary, more (39% vs. 28%, respectively).

Every third Russian plans to continue working after reaching retirement age (34%). This is more often reported by 45-59-year-old respondents (44%). 23% of our fellow citizens intend to use the right to retire at the appropriate age – mostly those who have already reached 60 years (37%). In the minority are those who expect to stop working before the statutory retirement age (3%). However, 26% of Russians have not yet thought about this topic, as a rule, these are 18-24-year-olds (56%).

The overwhelming majority of Russians still do not see the need to increase the retirement age (88%). As a rule, these are respondents over 35 years old (89-90%).Only 4% support this idea (in 2006 – 7%).   Fewer and fewer Russians who have not reached retirement age rely on additional sources of income in old age – 47% versus 60% in 2005.

On the contrary, there are more people who plan to live on retirement (from 24 to 39%).

Those who rely on additional financial sources, in addition to pensions, most often mean earnings from work by profession (37%) or from work that will be within their strength (27%). Over the past four years, there have been almost twice as many people who hope for children's help (from 10% in 2005 to 19% this year). On the contrary, our fellow citizens have become less likely to expect that they will make ends meet at the expense of self-grown products (8% vs. 13%, respectively). 7% plan to live on the salary of the spouse(s) who will work and retire, 6% - on savings, 5% – on an additional pension from the private pension savings system, 3% – on renting out real estate. Less often than not, Russians count on the help of charitable organizations, on receiving inheritance and on the money earned from the exchange of existing living space for a smaller one (1% each). One in five Russians who have not reached retirement age still postpone planning their life in old age until the moment of its onset (20%).

As before, the majority of Russians who have reached retirement age do not have additional sources of income (65%). More often it is men (68% vs. 64% among women). However, 30% of respondents have any other financial means besides pensions (30%), every third woman (32%) and only every fourth man (25%) reports this. 

Most often, additional sources of income for Russians of retirement age are the help of children (27% vs. 20% in 2005) and earnings from work by profession (26% vs. 16%, respectively). There are more of those who live on wages from work that they can do (from 14 to 19%), fewer of those who make ends meet at the expense of a subsidiary farm (from 29 to 18%, respectively). Less often, pensioners live on the earnings of a spouse (7%), savings (6%), income from renting real estate (3%), assistance from charitable organizations (2%), money received as a result of moving to a smaller living space (1%).   

The initiative All-Russian VTSIOM survey was conducted on September 19-20, 2009. 1,600 people were interviewed in 140 localities in 42 regions, territories and republics of Russia. The statistical error does not exceed 3.4%.What feelings do you usually have,

02.10.2009