Eighty-three percent Russians approve of Vladimir Putin as president, a number that has soared from 54% last year since his annexation of Crimea and intervention in Ukraine as well as the Sochi Olympics.
Westerners may wonder why Russians so happily approve of a man who is becoming an international pariah.
And that might get them wondering what else Russians think and what Russians are like anyway.
Taking care to avoid unfounded stereotypes, we've turned to data from polling centers, the World Health Organization, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and Pew Research Center to identify facts about the majority of Russia's 144 million citizens.
The average Russian adult consumes 15 liters of pure alcohol annually, far more than the 9-liter average in America. Heavy drinking has been blamed for alarmingly high early death rates for Russian men.
56% of Russians aren't pleased with the quality of their drinking water, the worst of the 36 nations ranked by OECD.
Current data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
60% of Russians think their country is moving in the right direction.
August 2013 Levada Center Poll
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