MOSCOW, October 16, 2007 Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents information concerning what income a family should have at its disposal in order to be consired well-off, poor or providing itself with an adequate level of living; in what period of Russian history the living standards were more likely to be rising and when they deteriorated, where Russians see reasons for a change in the number of the poor in the time of V. Putin's presidensy.

6% of Russians assume that for a family to be considered rich, it should have an income of up to 10 000 rubles per family member per month at their disposal (12-15% of respondents with the income of up to 3 000 rubles adhere to this opinion, whereas among the respondents better provided for only 2-6% do). Every tenth respondent relates a family with the incomes of 10 001 to 20 000 rubles per family member per month to the rich group, one third of respondents identify that rich persons should have an income of 20 001 to 50 000 rubles per family member; whereas one fifth of respondents suppose that a rich family should receive 50 001 to 1000 000 rubles per family member monthly. 13% assume that the sum should exceed 100 000 rubles (6-8% of respondents with the income of up to 3 000 rubles think so, 10% with the income of 3 001 to 5 000 rubles and 19% of respondents with a higher income do).

13% of respondents are of the opinion that families with a monthly income of up to 1500 per family member live below the poverty line. 35% place families with the income of 1 001 to 3 000 rubles in this same group; according to 23% of respondents, living below the poverty line equals the income of 3 001 to 5 000 rubles, and 18% mention the sum of more than 5 000 rubles. The majority of respondents with the income of up to 5 000 rubles (56-68%) define living below the poverty line as having an income of up to 3 000 rubles; only one third of respondents with incomes higher than 5 000 rubles per family member per month (34%) agree with this opinion, and majority set the limit higher.

No more than 5% of Russians think that a family can ensure an adequate standard of living for itself if it has an income of up to 5 000 rubles per family member per month. Another 23% assume that this sum should total 5 001-10 000 rubles. 28% indicate number within the limits of 10 001 to 20 000 rubles, 34% mention a higher sum. The larger the type of the settlement, where the respondents live, is, the higher income they consider adequate. Thus, a sum of more than 20 000 rubles is indicated by 22% of country residents and by 67% of respondents from Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

Less than 1% of respondents identify themselves as rich, 4% mention that they belong to the group of people with the income level above average. The relative majority, 42%, estimate their income level as average; 34% as below average. 14% of respondents consider themselves to be poor, whereas 3% confess that they are indigent. The share of those, who ascribe themselves to the poor or indigent, ranges from 10% among the capital residents to 22% of people living in the country.

The initiative all-Russia opinion poll was conducted by VCIOM on October 6-7, 2007. 1600 respondents were interviewed in 153 population areas of 46 regions of Russia. The statistical error does not exceed 3.4%.