The proportion of Russians who want to emigrate has reached a new record since 2007. As the Gallup poll conducted at the end of last year shows, 20% of the population would prefer to leave the country for good.

In recent years, the number has more than doubled. In 2015, there were 10% potential emigrants and in 2016 - 9%.

The younger generation is thinking about emigration the most. Among respondents aged 15 to 29 years old, 44% expressed a desire to leave. In the middle-aged group, the result halves to 22%.

Sociologists have determined that the desire to emigrate is largely independent from one’s level of education. Among those with a university degree, 24% would consider the option as opposed to 19% of those with a high school education.

The majority - 15% - would choose to emigrate to Germany. Twelve percent indicated the US, 5% would choose Japan, Canada and Spain. Similar results were obtained in January by the Levada Center. In the country as a whole, 17% are thinking about emigrating and among the younger generation - 41%. Moreover, one out of every five people in the Russian Federation has a relative or friend who has taken up permanent residence abroad in the last two or three years, according to the survey.

A study conducted by Boston Consulting Group last May shows that the problem does not lie in the fact that Russians want to leave en masse, but that the country is primarily losing its most sought-after professionals in high-tech industries.

According to BCG, almost two thirds of potential emigrants from the Russian Federation (65%) are “digital talents”: artificial intelligence specialists, scrum masters, user interface designers, etc.

Fifty percent of Russian scientists, 52% of top-managers and 54% of IT specialists want to work abroad. Forty-nine percent of those working in the engineering field and 46% of doctors are ready to join them.

  Russia

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