Russians appreciate the dependence of well-being on the person and society

The majority of Russians (60%) believe that the well-being of a person depends primarily on himself, and not on the structure of society (33%). This is evidenced by the results of the VTSIOM monitoring survey on the effectiveness of social elevators.

Over a quarter of a century, these perceptions have changed markedly: in 2000, on the contrary, 59% of respondents associated well-being with the structure of society, and only 41% - with personal efforts. According to the authors of the study, the change is associated with the experience of the 90s of the last century, when previous merits and qualifications did not guarantee confidence in the future, and the subsequent predictability of the “rules of the game”.

The survey was conducted on September 19, 2026, it was attended by 1.6 thousand Russians aged 18 and over. The data are weighted by socio-demographic parameters. The maximum sampling error with a probability of 95% does not exceed 2.5%.

The views of Russians depend on their financial situation. Among those who assess their position above average, the opinion is more common that a person is a “smith of his own well-being.” Those whose financial situation leaves much to be desired, on the contrary, are much more likely to associate well-being with the structure of society. Among Russians with a very good or good financial situation, 75% believe that well-being depends on the person himself, while among those who assess the situation as very bad or bad, 37% think so.

“This gap shows how much self-belief is connected with life experience: if efforts are not justified, it is difficult for a person to rely only on himself and he expects support from society and the state. Faith in one’s own strength, of course, is higher where the path to success is clearer and more accessible, said Maria Grigorieva, an expert at the Department of Political Studies at VTSIOM, in comments to the results of the study.

The most affordable social elevator, according to the survey results, remains to get a good education: 59% of respondents said that they were able to achieve this goal or have already achieved it thanks to their own abilities, another 8% - that they are more likely to be able to. The chances of professional success are somewhat more modestly estimated: promotion on the career ladder seems feasible 26% (plus 21% of those who answered “I will rather be able”), applying for a prestigious job – 28% (plus 18%).

Self-confidence weakens when it comes to wealth and business. The opportunity to start a business is considered feasible by 13% (plus 12% - "I can rather"), to become rich - 10% (plus 17%). At the same time, almost every second (45%) deliberately avoids the idea of starting their own business, and almost every third (31%) – about wealth.

The least attractive to Russians is the prospect of getting into the elite of society: only one in eight is ready to enter this circle (6% - "I can or have already achieved it", another 6% - "I would rather be able"), while more than half of respondents (54%) said that they did not plan to do so.

“Education and careers are perceived to be more affordable, but they do not necessarily provide opportunities for significant income growth or for starting a business. Simply put, there are social elevators, but not all floors are equally easy for people to climb. Therefore, strengthening faith in one’s own strength depends not only on a person’s willingness to try, but also on clear, stable rules under which his efforts really allow him to move on, Grigorieva said.

In a July poll, the Russians said that the threshold of a rich life, in their understanding, begins with an income of 393,330 rubles per month per person.