According to a survey conducted by the Russian Red Cross (RRC) in collaboration with the research company ROMIR in 2025, 61 % of residents of large cities across the country participate in charitable activities in various forms. This figure has remained consistently high for the third consecutive year, demonstrating sustained public support for humanitarian initiatives and the resilience of charitable culture in the country.
Women are involved in charity more often (64 %) than men (56 %). Young people aged 18-24 are more likely to help in other ways and donate money less often. Residents of Kazan (68 %), Rostov-on-Don (65 %) and Krasnoyarsk (65 %) were much more likely to speak about regular monetary donations. The share of those who are not fundamentally involved in charity is also consistently low and currently stands at 5 %.
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 (57 %) was awareness that everyone can find themselves in a difficult life situation. More than a third of respondents (34 %) are motivated by an awareness of the seriousness of social issues, while another 27 % cite a personal emotional impulse. Young people aged 18-24 are significantly more likely to identify a habit of helping others since childhood as one of their motivations for participation. At the same time, the share of respondents who donate out of a sense of civic duty has declined significantly, falling to 14 % compared to 22 % in 2024.
“Our research confirms that Russians seek to engage in specific, meaningful forms of support. It is particularly significant that the engagement rate has remained high for the third consecutive year, demonstrating the resilience of the country’s humanitarian culture. At the same time, one in three residents of large cities is ready to support our projects in the near future — through financial contributions, in-kind donations, or personal involvement as a volunteer. This inspires us to further expand all areas of support and to develop clear and accessible ways to participate, from volunteering initiatives to enhanced donation mechanisms,” said Pavel Savchuk, President of the Russian Red Cross.
43 % of respondents reported making donations. Compared to the previous year, the share of respondents donating on a monthly basis increased significantly, reaching 42 % among those who donate (27 % in 2024). The proportion of respondents making one-time donations exceeding 500 rubles also doubled to 42 % (21 % in 2024). Automatic payments are used
by 3 % of respondents. At the same time, approximately 30 % view automatic payments positively, and 7 % of this group plan to enable this option in the future.
According to the study results, the RRC is among the top five organizations in terms of donations received. Residents of the country’s large cities donate to the RRC significantly more often than residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg. More than half of respondents (57 %) are willing to support the Russian Red Cross humanitarian activities in the future, with 31 % expressing readiness to do so in the near term. In terms of preferred formats of support, most respondents are willing to assist the RRC through in-kind donations such as clothing and food (58 %), financial contributions (52 %), or volunteering (45 %).
The most widely recognized areas of work of the Russian Red Cross remain assistance to people affected by emergencies and armed conflicts. These are followed by support for blood and bone marrow donors, assistance to the elderly, psychological support, and first aid training.
The sociological study was conducted by the RRC in cooperation with the research company ROMIR in November-December 2025 among 2,500 respondents from ten major cities across the country: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Chelyabinsk, Krasnoyarsk, Rostov-on-Don, and Voronezh.
