Born in 1946. In 1971 he graduated from the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University. Candidate of Philosophy (1978).

1970–1973 — worked for the department of methodology of researching social processes at the Russian Academy of Sciences.

1973–1977 — Gudkov was an employee of the department of philosophy and sociology at the Institute for scientific Information on social studies which belongs to the Russian Academy of Sciences.

1977–1984 — Senior researcher of the Sociology Department at the Russian State Library.

1984–1986 — Worked as one of the leading scientific employees at the Sociology Department of the Design Research Institute (VNIIITE).

1986–1988, Gudkov was the senior scientific employee of the All-Union book chamber.

1988–1991 — Leading Researcher, All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VCIOM).

In 1991–2003, he was the head of the theory department, and later, the department of social and political research at VCIOM. He left VCIOM together with the team of Yuri Levada.

Since December 2006 — Director of the Levada Centre.

Lives in Moscow.