#2 - JRL 7169
Price growth is Russians' biggest concern

MOSCOW. May 6 (Interfax) - The constant growth of prices on food and essential goods is now the biggest concern for the majority of Russians.

An estimated 81% of Russians polled by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center in late April said this was their biggest concern (1,600 people were polled).

The second biggest concern is growing prices for housing (68% of respondents), and the third is the increase in crime (41%), Interfax was told.

Among other concerns were: the threat of unemployment (32%), events surrounding the Iraq war (21%), the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS (19%), problems with summer vacations (7%), a possible decrease in oil prices (6%), contract murders (6%), and the threat posed by floods (4%).

The total number of responses exceeds 100%, as the respondents were allowed to choose more than one response.