MOSCOW, May, 11, 2007. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) submits information about how Russians estimated their lives and personal future, as well as economic and political circumstances of the state and general trend of state development in April, 2007.

Level of satisfaction with own life in April remains basically the same as one year ago. The comparative majority (42 %) shows ‘average' estimations: the life partly satisfies them, partly it does not. 23 % of respondents perceive their life most somewhat positively (it generally satisfies them). And just as much respondents perceive their lives somewhat negatively. In April of the last year ‘somewhat negative' responses were given a little bit more often than ‘somewhat positive' ones (20 %,-25 %). Meanwhile, one year ago ‘very satisfied'/'very dissatisfied' responses were divided equally (6 %,-6 %). But now ‘very negative' responses are given a little bit more often than ‘very positive' ones (4 %,-8 %).

The expectations of what is life going to be like in a year, are ‘somewhat optimistic' in the same amount as in April, 2006. The part of the respondents who are not predicting any essential change of their lives is equal 43 %. The part of optimists (believing, that they will live better) makes 29 % (in April, 2006 there were 30 %). The part of the pessimists expecting deterioration of a life is 3 % (one year ago there were 12 %). 15 % of the interviewed are in difficulty to answer.

Estimations of an economic situation in the country for a year have noticeably improved, though the percent of positive responses has almost remained the same as the previous (there were 12 %, there now 14 %). Meanwhile the part of neutral responses has increased from 52 % up to 59 %, and the part of negative ones declined from 31 % up to 22 %.

Estimations of a political situation in the country have improved as well. One year ago positive responses were less popular than negative (14 %,-23 %), but in April the amounts of positive and negative responses were equal (17 %,-16 %). The most typical responses are neutral ones (55-57 %).

Estimations of the state development's general trend confirm general positive tendency. Parts of positive and negative responses were equal last year (+25%, -25%), but in April, 2007 positive estimations are presented more often than negative ones (+28%, -21%). The most popular opinion is that the country is going partly in a right way and partly in a wrong one (43-45%).

Respondents' estimations of their own lives have remained almost the same as those of a year ago. The future is being seen more optimistically than the present time. Political circumstances are estimated more positive than economic ones (just as it was a year ago). Perceiving of economic and political circumstances has improved significantly. The general trend of country's development has been estimated somewhat more optimistically as well.

All-Russia opinion polls were conducted by VCIOM in April, 15-16, 2006 and in April, 28-29, 2007. 1600 respondents were interviewed in 153 population centers of 46 regions of Russia. The statistical error does not exceed 3.4%