Survey: In Russia, religious youth support the war more than atheists

Orthodox youth in Russia. Photo: Synodal Department for Youth Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church

In 2023, researchers and partners from the International Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory at Nizhny Novgorod Linguistic University (NGLU), focused on the study of global and regional socio-political processes, conducted a survey among university students in Nizhny Novgorod. The results were published in a monograph released in 2024 and include statistics on youth attitudes toward the war.

Support for military actions in Ukraine varies significantly depending on gender and social status. The percentage of respondents who clearly support the war differs sharply between groups:

• Among young men – 42.5%; among young women – 27.4%;
• Among those with good or average financial status – 37.1%; among the economically disadvantaged – only 14.5%;
• Among believers (regardless of denomination) – 43.2%; among atheists – 23.7%.

The study also included data on trust in various institutions. Charitable organizations received the highest level of trust among youth – 91.6%. In general, non-profit organizations are the most trusted institutions in Russia. The institution with the lowest level of trust is the Church.

Earlier, it was reported that in the United States, more and more young people are embracing Orthodoxy.

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