Amidst increasing restraints on civil rights and economic prospects, an opinion poll by the independent Levada Center found that Russia's young people appear increasingly willing to emigrate. Fifty-three percent of surveyed Russians between the ages of 18 and 24 stated that they would like to move abroad – a sharp increase from 31 percent in 2017.
But Current Time’s own informal street poll of young people in Moscow found some nuances: Those who want to leave often want to return and use their experience and know-how “to improve” Russia.
The Levada poll, which surveyed 1,600 adults in 137 locations across Russia this September, appears part of a demographic trend. Earlier this year, in April, a Gallup poll showed that the overall number of Russians who would like to emigrate had reached an all-time high of 20 percent. As in the Levada poll, the youngest respondents, those aged between 15 and 29, were the most inclined to leave.