86% of Russians are drowning in debt

An overwhelming majority of Russians – 86% – have taken out loans or assumed other forms of debt over the past three years. Nevertheless, 63% of the country’s residents consider such financial services a last resort and prefer to avoid them whenever possible.

TodayPress TV reports, citing TASS, that these findings come from a study conducted by the Analytical Centre of the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VTsIOM) in May–June 2026.

According to the study, most Russians consider it acceptable to delay payments on their financial obligations. This figure stands at 79% among consumer loan borrowers and 90% among credit card holders. Less than half of respondents – 42% – said they always make their payments on time without any delays.

The researchers also noted that attitudes towards people with substantial debt are generally positive. Some 43% of respondents said they felt sympathy for debtors, while only 26% expressed a negative attitude towards them.

According to sociologists, at least 72% of respondents consider taking out loans for housing, medical treatment and education justified. However, only 27% of those surveyed admitted that they had a good understanding of the lending sector.

Zahra Mammadova