Differentiation in Russians' Perception of Inequality and Their Dynamics

Abstract

A number of recent inequality studies emphasize the importance of considering not only its objective characteristics, but also its subjective perception. This makes it especially relevant to study possible determinants of attitudes towards inequality. In addition, the variability of attitudes towards inequality over time is of research interest. To what extent has the attitude towards inequality in Russia changed in recent years? And how different is the attitude of Russians towards inequality from the population of other countries? Accounting for the subjective aspects of inequality will make it possible to better understand the social processes taking place in Russian society. In this paper, on the basis of the European Social Survey 2006-2016 data, the features of the subjective perception of inequality by Russians in various population groups and their dynamics were studied. The Gini coefficient and the decile coefficient were used as indicators of objective actual income inequality. Special attention is paid to the differentiation of views depending on the socio-demographic, income and other characteristics of the population.