Poverty, Migrants, and a Blocked Telegram: What Ails russia in 2026

80% of russians cite the economic situation as their main source of anxiety – and the numbers explain why. Total household debt surpassed the 45 trillion ruble mark for the first time in early 2026. Nearly half of this amount – 48.1% – is mortgage debt, another 29.7% is consumer loans, 6.8% is auto loans, and the rest consists of microfinance obligations and other debts. Inflation, unemployment, and impoverishment have become a chronic, rather than a temporary, reality.

Closely tied to the economy – in second place with a 79% rating – is the migration issue. The background is telling: the state is tightening migration laws, while businesses are bringing in foreign labor to compensate for a labor shortage. According to various estimates, the number of migrants in the country reaches 20 million people.

The kremlin propaganda eagerly exploits this tension: migrants are portrayed as the culprits behind unemployment, rising crime, and evasion of military service in the war against Ukraine. Despite claims of originality, these messages are a carbon copy of global anti-immigration populism.

Rounding out the top three is the blocking of Telegram. 77% of respondents cited this as a pressing issue. It is telling that the desire to communicate proved to be more important than “lack of progress in the ‘special military operation’” (75%), housing problems (70%), the state of healthcare (69%), and crime (67%).