Levada Center on xenophobia in 2019

The Levada Center has published the results of its annual study of xenophobic sentiments among Russians.

On September 18, 2019, the Levada Center published the results of its traditional all-Russian study of xenophobic sentiments among Russians. This year it took place on August 22–28—sociologists conducted personal interviews with 1,608 people over 18 years of age.

The center's research is divided into three blocks, the first of which is devoted to migrant phobia.

Sociologists note the development of a trend outlined last year : the growth of favorable attitudes towards migrants and ethnic minorities is stopping, and respondents who occupied a neutral position are polarizing in their opinions. Thus, the share of opponents of labor migration who advocate limiting it increased by 5% compared to 2018 and by 14% compared to 2017 . Moreover, the increase in this indicator occurred precisely at the expense of respondents who previously answered “I don’t care” when asked about migration.

This year, survey participants were asked to rate statements about migration interpreted by researchers as positive, negative, or neutral. These same statements were proposed by him in 2013. The data for these two years do not differ too much from each other: the proportion of respondents indicating an excessive number of migrants in their place of residence decreased only slightly.

The respondents were also asked to evaluate the thesis that “migrants live better than the local population.” The shares of respondents who agreed and disagreed with this thesis are approximately equal - 44% and 41%, respectively. Moreover, the consumer status (and average per capita family income) of the respondent and his support for this thesis are expected to be inversely related.

The second block of the survey concerns ethnophobia.

According to the survey, compared to 2017, the level of ethnophobia has increased and approached the level of 2011-2012 . Namely, the number of respondents naming at least one ethnic category whose number of representatives they would like to reduce in Russia has increased. In 2012 there were 73% of such respondents, in 2013 - 81%, in 2017 - 54%, in 2019 - again 71%.

As in previous years, the subject of the study was the acceptable social distance when interacting with a “stranger.” As sociologists note, the “hierarchy of ethnic xenophobia” has remained unchanged compared to last year: “the population is least happy with the Roma and most favorably disposed towards Jews.” In decreasing order of xenophobic sentiments, the list of minorities proposed by researchers is as follows: gypsies, immigrants from Africa, immigrants from Central Asia, Chinese, Chechens, Ukrainians, Jews. It is worth noting that the social distance towards Ukrainians has decreased somewhat.

The third block of the study is a methodological experiment designed to demonstrate the presence or absence of differences in support for the positions “Russia for Russians” and “Russia only for Russians.” Sociologists have come to the conclusion that although the second option is supported in a radical form (“I support it, it’s high time to implement it”) by a smaller number of respondents, in general “every second resident of the country supports this slogan, regardless of the nuances of its formulation.” Sources

• Monitoring xenophobic sentiments // Levada Center. 2019. September 18.