Gallup Finds 60% of Russians See Economy Worsening as Wartime Strains Deepen

3 articles · Updated · Fortune · Jun 30

A record 60% of Russians told Gallup economic conditions are getting worse, up from 39% last year and the first majority-pessimistic reading in two decades of polling.
Another 56% said living standards are worsening, while 58% called it a bad time to find a job — signs that household strain is breaking the wartime social compact.
Tax hikes, persistent inflation and a labor shortage have added to the pressure, with some Russians viewing the VAT increase from 20% to 22% as a broken Putin pledge.
Russia’s fiscal cushion has also thinned: liquid sovereign wealth fund assets fell to 1.8% of GDP from 6.5% at the war’s start, and oil and gas revenues dropped 45% in the first quarter.
The poll suggests economic stress is now eroding confidence in state institutions, complicating the Kremlin’s effort to sustain the war while keeping public support intact.