Russian life satisfaction slumps to 47% as gloom returns to mobilisation levels

Fewer than half of Russians now say they are satisfied with their lives, a 10-point drop in a year, according to the Levada Center. The share reporting satisfaction fell to 47% in July 2026 from 57% in July 2025, which had been the highest reading in the pollster's series. Dissatisfaction rose to 16%, while 35% said life only partly suits them.

Confidence in the future went the same way. Some 56% said they felt confident about tomorrow, down 10 points on the year, while 41% said they did not, up 11 points. Asked how they were coping, only 13% said they had seized new opportunities, against 26% "scrambling for any chance to earn" and 17% who had abandoned their usual way of living altogether.

A companion release on the same fieldwork found 57