Key factors of Russians’ acute perception of the contradiction between rich and poor in 2024

The contradiction between the rich and the poor has always been felt by Russians especially acutely, being one of the most painful for the population of our country to perceive, and the attitude to it influences the level of social tension in society and the degree of consolidation of society. However, the reasons for this attitude to it are not simple and far from obvious. Taking into account the importance of this problematic in the conditions of aggravation of external challenges for Russia in recent years, the article uses the data of representative all-Russian surveys of IS FСTAS RAS for 2024 with the use of regression analysis to show that the acuteness of the perception of the contradiction between the rich and the poor in modern Russia is not influenced by gender, age, level of education, or even income level. However, objective living conditions do influence this perception, and it is connected with certain features of life experience. A special role in this respect is played by the presence in the family of chronically ill people with limited working capacity, who are not disabled of groups 1 and 2, the absence in the household of a car, which has become a marker of well-being for Russians, poor assessments of their own health, living in a marriage, as well as the lack of income from property. However, subjective and attitudinal factors play a decisive role in this perception. The perception of the gap between rich and poor is influenced by a combination of two groups of these factors. One of them includes perceptions of the dynamics and correctness of the country’s development (negative assessment of the dynamics in the social sphere, especially the situation with pensions, living standards, and social justice). This indicates a conflict between perceptions of how society should be organized and everyday reality. The second group of factors includes perceptions of real problems that a person faces in his life and that he is unable to solve himself for various reasons (dissatisfaction with the quality of his food, clothing or his material well-being in general and the prospects for its growth).