Public estimates of the demographic situation in Russia are being improved.

MOSCOW, August 25, 2010. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data describing how Russians estimate the current demographic situation in Russia.

Respondents have increasingly mentioned the worsening of demographic situation over the recent five years. Nineteen percent said so in 2008; now they make up 29%. Besides, Russians rarer mark improved death and birth rates (49% in 2008 against 39% in 2010). Every fifth still think nothing has changed (in 2008 - 24%).

Nevertheless, the number of Russians assessing the current demographic situation in Russia as being favorable has almost tripled over the recent five years (from 11% in 2005 to 38% in 2010). Simultaneously, the number of those who think the situation is reaching crisis point has decreased from 83% in 2005 to the current 48%.

According to respondents, unfavorable demographic trends are due to declining fertility which is resulted from low living conditions of the population: most of respondents have mentioned this reason during the recent five years (44% in 2005 against 31% in 2010). The second place is held by such negative factors as the reduced importance of family values (27% in 2005 and 22% in 2010) and impact of national social policy of 1990s (35% in 2005 against 21% in 2010). This is followed by such factors as the increase in the number of those who are not able to have children due to health problems (14%) and natural demographic process related to unfavorable demographic situation in recent years (13%).

Among the reasons behind poor demographic situation in Russia most of respondents point out the increase in alcohol and drug abuse, especially among young Russians (this factor was ranked third in 2005 - 37% against 45% in 2010). One-quarter of respondents reports sharp increase in mortality and reduction in average life expectancy (41% in 2005). Depopulation of the entire regions such as Siberia and Far East was mentioned by 18% of respondents which is six times more than it was in 2005 (3%). The proportion of those respondents who report the increased number of AIDs patients and HIV-infected people and spread of venereal diseases (9% in 2005 and 16% in 2010) has gone up. However, the number of Russians who mention the steady decline in fertility has dramatically fallen down since 2005 (most of respondents pointed out this trend in 2005 - 43% against 12% in 2010).

The initiative Russian opinion polls were conducted on July 24-25, 2010. 1600 respondents were interviewed at 140 sampling points in 42 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.

Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!