VTsIOM about interethnic marriages

August 27, 2010 VTsIOM published the results sociological survey about the attitudes of Russians to interethnic marriages.

The survey was conducted on July 3-4 2010 in 140 settlements in 42 regions, territories and republics of Russia. Quantity 1600 respondents. The statistical error does not exceed 3.4%.

A similar poll whose data compares the current results, was conducted by VTsIOM in 2002 and, we note, the situation in Russia has changed little over 8 years (many changes are within the framework of specified statistical error).

Respondents were asked one question: “How would you react to the fact that your close relative (daughter, son, grandson) married a representative of the following nationality?”, the answers to which distributed as follows.

70% of respondents approve of marriages with Russians. Only 2% disapprove of them.

Russians are most repulsed by hypothetical possibilities marriages (in descending order):

• with Chechens - 65% (in 2002 - 67%);

• with Arabs - 63% (in 2002 this group was not indicated);

• with "Kazakh, Tajik, Kyrgyz or Uzbek" - 60% (in 2002 - 57%);

• with a "Georgian, Armenian or Azerbaijani" - 54% (in 2002 - 58%);

• with Jews - 46% (as in 2002).

Note that the "Russians" were the only positive attitude towards marriages with which exceeded half of the respondents. Among the groups of people The positive attitude towards marriages with which exceeds the negative ones also turned out to be:

• Americans (41 and 37% respectively)

• "Germans, French or the British” (44 and 33% respectively)

• "Latvians, Lithuanians or Estonians" (43 and 35% respectively)

• Ukrainians or Belarusians (45 and 14% respectively).

Sociologists note the difference in attitudes towards interethnic marriages among people single and married.

The former are more inclined adhere to a neutral position, and, first of all, to alliances with the Baltic states (46%), Americans (45%), Caucasians (33%) .”

The latter, more often than the respondents as a whole, do not approve of alliances with Arabs (65%), Jews (48%), Americans (40%), Europeans (35%).

Sources

• Press release No. 1569. Russians about interethnic marriages // Official website of VTsIOM. 2010. August 27.