The share of Russians expecting deterioration in financial well-being within next year has reached the historical minimum.
MOSCOW, March 12, 2012. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data describing the changes in the well-being that Russians expect; and what they think the changes will be caused by.
Most of Russians do not expect any changes in their financial well-being this year. The share of such respondents has considerably increased (from 47% in 2011 to 57% currently). 17% of respondents have positive forecast. The share of those who expect their well-being to get worse is decreasing year-by-year (from 32 to 15% over four years).
Those who are confident that financial state will not be changed are Russians older than 45 (59-60%), Muscovites and St.Petersburgians (68%), as well as those who assess their income as average (61%). Young Russians (29%), residents of small cities (21%) and those with high financial self-assessment (34%) expect their financial income to increase. Elderly respondents (23%), rural area residents (18%), and Russians with low financial income (36%) perceive their financial future negatively.
Those Russians who have positive forecasts rely on their salary from work for hire (64% versus 54% a year ago). Other sources are rarer mentioned. Twenty percent of Russians rely on salary from second job (14% - a year ago), 11% rely on unofficial job. The share of those who expect to increase their well-being at the expense of pensions is 15%, at the expense of income from private entrepreneurship – 14%. Least of Russians rely on social benefits (5%), scholarships, financial assistance from relatives (3% for each), alimony (2%), profit from renting, and interest on deposits (1% for each). Other 7% mention other sources of income.
As to financial fears of Russians, they still put inflation on the first position - 73% (a year ago – 82%). This is followed by increased expenditures (43% versus 53% in 2011). Respondents also mentioned loss of main job - 14%, loss of additional job – 5%, loss of unofficial job – 3%, loss of social benefits – 5%, loss of financial assistance – 3%, decreased interest on deposits – 3%. The shares of those who are afraid to lose the revenue from selling products they produce and those who are afraid to lose alimony and unemployment benefits are 2% (for each group).
The initiative Russian opinion polls were conducted January 21-22, 2012. 1600 respondents were interviewed at 138 sampling points in 46 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.
In your onion, how will the financial well-being of your family change within a next year? (close-ended question, one answer) | |||||
| January 2012 | January 2011 | March 2009 | June 2006 | October 1998 |
Rather become better | 17 | 19 | 13 | 18 | 9 |
Stay the same | 57 | 47 | 38 | 54 | 33 |
Rather become worse | 15 | 21 | 32 | 16 | 37 |
Hard to tell | 11 | 13 | 18 | 12 | 22 |
Which sources are you going to use to improve your financial well-being? (close-ended question, not more than three answers, % of those who forecast the financial situation to improve) | ||||
| 2012 | 2011 | 2009 | 2008 |
Salary from main job | 64 | 54 | 57 | 61 |
Salary from additional job (second job, contract, labor agreement) | 20 | 14 | 25 | 19 |
Pension (retirement, disability, social) | 15 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Revenue from business activity (incl. individual entrepreneurship) | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 |
Unofficial earnings – regular or irregular, permanent or occasional | 11 | 9 | 10 | 14 |
Benefits and allowances, compensations | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Financial assistance from relatives, friends | 3 | 7 | 4 | 6 |
Income from selling products produced in personal subsidiary plot | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Scholarship | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Profit from property rentals | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Unemployment benefits | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Alimony | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Interest deposits | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Income from selling property | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Other financial income | 7 | 7 | 4 | 8 |
Hard to tell | 4 | 9 | 1 | 5 |
What can be the reasons for the deterioration of your financial situation? | ||||
| 2012 | 2011 | 2009 | 2008 |
High inflation | 73 | 82 | 72 | 67 |
Increased expenditures | 43 | 53 | 50 | 43 |
Loss of main job | 14 | 11 | 21 | 10 |
Loss of additional job (second job, contract, labor agreement) | 5 | 5 | 10 | 4 |
Loss/reduction of other financial income | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 |
Loss/reduction of financial assistance from relatives | 3 | 1 | 6 | 3 |
Loss of unofficial job | 3 | 4 | 5 | 2 |
Loss of social benefits, allowances | 5 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
Paying off loans | 7 | 8 | 3 | 7 |
Loss/reduction of income from selling products produced in personal subsidiary plot | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Loss of scholarship | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Loss of business | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Loss of unemployment benefit | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Loss/reduction of alimony | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Reduced interest on deposits | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Hard to tell | 3 | 2 | 2 | 11 |
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