According to a Russian Red Cross (RRC) survey conducted in October–December, 2024, 61% of people living in big cities actively engage in charitable activities, a consistent figure since 2023.
The survey was lunched in Russia’s ten biggest cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Chelyabinsk, Krasnoyarsk, Rostov-on-Don, and Voronezh.
Apart from the stable engagement rate, the study identified some key factors behind charity behavior of Russian people. The motivation most frequently cited by those surveyed (58%, vs 54% in 2023) was awareness that anyone can be hit by a crisis. Many said helping others was a way for them to express their appreciation of social problems (37%), and many referred to personal emotional response (29%).
“The data we see today confirm a high degree of charity engagement among our citizens. We are especially delighted to observe a growing level of credibility towards the Russian Red Cross. Today, one out of three Russians is willing to support RRC projects. This is what inspires us to further develop the main areas of support and to offer anyone who is interested a choice of transparent participation mechanisms – from volunteering initiatives to regular contributions,” Russian Red Cross President Pavel Savchuk pointed out.
According to the survey, the Russian Red Cross ranks among the top three recipients of charitable donations. In 2024, 17% of contributors supported the organization’s humanitarian programs, almost twice the previous year’s figure. Residents of Moscow and Voronezh are the most active supporters of RRC projects.
Awareness of the organization’s areas of activity has also improved. As before, the most familiar areas are: assistance to victims of military action (54%), disaster relief (49%) and psychosocial support (31%).
The survey also points to a continuing diversity of charity forms. Only 5% of the respondents make regular monetary donations, 41% do it occasionally, while 13% help in ways other than money such as volunteer work or in kind donations. The most significant surge of charitable activity between 2023 and 2024 was recorded in Voronezh (from 49% to 60%) and Rostov-on-Don (from 60% to 69%).
Moreover, the study helped outline the socio-demographic profile of charity activists: the most frequent type is young women aged between 25 and 34, and especially mothers of two or more children.
