Most Russians Believe That Economic Crisis Not Yet Over - Poll
Moscow, 31 March: Most Russians are not making optimistic plans about their financial situation, believing that the country has not yet overcome the economic crisis, research by sociologists has shown.
Now over half of citizens (54 per cent, 55 per cent in 2009-2010), like in the last three years, are setting themselves the goal of living no worse than most families in their city or district, Levada Centre sociologists told Interfax on Thursday (31 March) when presenting the results of an all-Russian survey carried out in March.
According to their figures, one in five people (21 per cent) are currently trying "to survive, albeit on the most primitive level of existence", while 17 per cent want to live better than most of their neighbours. Meanwhile, 7 per cent are seeking the standard of living of an average family in Western Europe and the USA, and 1 per cent is aiming to exceed this standard of living.
The survey showed that over half of Russians (57 per cent) think that the economic crisis in the country is not yet over, and one in five (19 per cent) is confident that it is coming to an end. Five per cent of Russians said that they had not experienced any problems related to the crisis.
Thirty-six per cent of respondents believe that "tough times" for the country still lie ahead, but 26 per cent disagree with them, claiming that the difficult period has already been passed.
Eighty-two per cent of participants in the poll, which was carried out in 130 locations in 45 regions around the country, highlighted the substantial increase in prices around the country in comparison with the increase in salaries and pensions. At the same time, 93 per cent of respondents experienced an increase in the cost of foodstuffs over the last year, 92 per cent felt an increase in housing and utility rates, and 79 per cent experienced the same with medicines.
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