According to a survey conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM), approximately 30% of Russians believe that saving for retirement should commence before the age of 25. Another 25% consider 25-35 years old as the optimal period to begin building their pension funds.
The study further indicated a prevailing sense of financial insecurity among the working-age population. Among Russians who have not yet reached retirement age, only 17% are confident that their future pension will be sufficient for a comfortable life. In stark contrast, a significant majority of 76% express concerns that their pensions will be inadequate for their needs.
A deeper look at the responses showed that while 30% of respondents identified starting retirement savings before 25 as ideal, 25% favored the 25-35 age bracket, and 14% suggested 36-45 years. Interestingly, 20% of participants were unsure when to begin their retirement savings journey.
“Today, there`s a dominant view that one should start thinking about future retirement at the very beginning of their working career. However, this does not yet mean that early rational saving has become a social norm. For now, it is largely a discursive norm, as institutional channels for translating these intentions into stable pension incomes are not yet firmly established in practice.”
— Stepan Lvov, Chairman of the VCIOM Analytical Center`s Scientific Council
The nationwide telephone survey, “VCIOM-Sputnik,” was conducted on September 5, 2025. It involved 1,600 Russians aged 18 and older, with a maximum margin of error not exceeding 2.5% at a 95% probability level.
