Don't believe the faces you see on the metro — more than half of Russians are happy.
According to a new Gallup International/WIN poll, 56 percent of Russians considered themselves to be happy in 2016, an increase of 1 percent on 2015.
Happy Russians find themselves in good company. Some 68 percent of respondents around the world say they are happy, meaning Russian happiness is still below average.
But not everyone is overjoyed. In Russia, 5 percent of respondents considered themselves unhappy, compared to 9 percent worldwide. Meanwhile, 33 percent of Russians identified as “neither happy, nor unhappy,” compared to 22 percent of all respondents worldwide.
Russia's responses place the country 29th of 69 countries that took part in the survey. Russia can take heart in ranking higher than Western Europe, where only 45 percent of respondents were happy, on average.
According to the survey, women and respondents under 55 were more likely to consider themselves happy. Christians also were more likely to be happy than adherents of other faiths.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
