MOSCOW. Feb 6 (Interfax) - The majority of Russians think that Russia has entered the group of world leaders, results of a poll conducted by the Yury Levada Analytical Center in January show.

Every second respondent said that Russia has become a full-fledged member of the Group of Eight, while only a quarter of respondents stuck to the opinion of 2001, the Levada center told Interfax.

The number of those who oppose the opinion went down from 42% in 2001 to 24% this year. However, the number of those undecided has remained the same (30%).

The number of people who consider that Russia was not a full-fledged G8 member because of its weak economy went down from 23% to 15%. The poll showed that mainly people with higher education continue to insist on this reason.

At the same time, the vast majority of respondents (72%) think that Russia needs the membership in the G8, while every tenth respondent (11%) is undecided on this issue. These figures did not change compared to the 2001 poll, the Levada center said.