Attitudes towards the market economy and capitalism in Ukraine, Poland and Russia

Rainer Zitelmann

Economic Affairs, 2026, vol. 46, issue 2, 175-189

Abstract: This article presents the results of opinion polls conducted in Ukraine, Poland, and Russia, focusing on attitudes towards the market economy and capitalism. The polls first asked six questions about the market economy without explicitly referencing ‘capitalism’. The only countries in which attitudes towards the ‘market economy’ are more positive than in Ukraine are Poland, the United States, the Czech Republic, South Korea, and Japan, while opinions are more negative in 30 countries. The most negative attitude towards the market economy in our survey across 36 countries was found among respondents in Russia. The survey also featured an association test with ten terms related to capitalism, along with 18 additional statements – both positive and negative – about capitalism. Among the 36 countries surveyed, the level of support for ‘capitalism’ in Ukraine is only exceeded by Poland, while it is similarly high in the United States. In 33 countries, however, overall perceptions of capitalism are more negative than in Ukraine. In contrast, general opinions of capitalism were more negative in only two of the 36 countries than in Russia.

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:ecaffa:v:46:y:2026:i:2:p:175-189

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