MOSCOW, October 26, 2009. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data describing how Russians assess the current economic situation in the country, how the level of their concerns about the crisis has changed, which signs of crisis they experienced, and whether Russians have adapted to the current situation. The information is based on the crisis monitoring indices calculated by VCIOM.*

The number of optimists is increasing; on the contrary, the number of pessimists is decreasing. Index of evaluation of the situation in the country rises steadily (from 37 percentage points in March to 45 in October). This is due to the increase in the number of respondents assessing positively the situation in the country (from 1 percentage point in June to 8 percentage points currently) and the decrease in the number of respondents who evaluate the situation negatively (from 51 in March to in October). The percentage of Russians who consider the situation as normal is fluctuating within 49 - 51%.

More and more Russians think that the worst time is over. The share of respondents who expect the worst thing yet to come keeps going down (from 45% in July to 33% in October). Those are residents of the Central (35%), Urals and Far Eastern (37 and 36% respectively) districts of Russia. At the same time, the confidence of Russians that the economic difficulties are over is growing (from 21 to 26% over a month). Most of them are inhabitants of North-Western Federal District (31%) and the Urals (30%). Twenty-nine percent consider that the most difficult time is now - most of such respondents live in the Urals and Far East of Russia (32% for each). Whereas for 46% of Russians with good financial income the worst is over, the same share of those with poor financial income thinks that that the worst is yet to come (45%). 

Russians are increasingly anxious because of economic crisis. Since spring the index of concerns about the crisis has been steadily declining (from 80 in March), and has been stable over the recent three months (72). This is due to the decrease in the proportion of Russians who are extremely concerned about the crisis (from 56% in February to 37% in October) and simultaneously the rise in the number of those Russians who are not worried about economic situation at all (from 8% in February-March to 14% in September-October). During the entire period of measurement the most noticeable index change was fixed in January-February this year (from 73 to 81 percentage points).

The basic crisis symptoms are the same: inflation and decrease in earnings. However, delays in salaries` payment have reduced, and Russians economize rarer. As before, the crisis manifests itself through increase in food and services prices (82%). The second main symptom of the crisis is decrease in earnings (42%). Twenty-two percent of Russians are forced to abandon some kind of goods and services; 19% faced reduced salaries, scholarships and other allowances. Every forth Russian did not receive bonuses (10%), experienced delay in payment of salaries, pensions or scholarships (10%), and need to help relatives and friends (11%). Compared with August, less Russians mention increase of prices (82% versus 85%). There is also an increase in the number of Russians who had to abandon some goods and services (from 26% in July to 22% in October), as well as in the number of those who faced delay in payment of salaries, scholarships and other allowances (from 16 to 10%), reduction of working hours and forced vacations (from 8 to 5%).

Russians has become better adapted to the crisis situation.  The index of crisis adaptation has increased to 77 percentage points over the recent month. The index is growing against the background of the increased number of Russians adapted to the current changes (from 55% in July to 61% in October). On the whole, the index of adaptation has been fluctuating within 73 - 77 percentage points over the entire period of measurement.

The initiative Russian opinion poll was conducted on October 10-11, 2009. 1600 respondents were interviewed at 140 sampling points in 42 regions of Russia. The margin of errordoes not exceed 3.4 %.

*Index of evaluation of the situation in the country track how the attitudes of Russians towards situation in the country change against the background of economic crisis.Index of adaptation to crisis demonstrates how Russians adapted to the changes happened in our country. Indices can be from 0 to 100 percentage points; the higher the indices are, the better the situation is, and the better Russians have adapted to changes. Index of concerns about economic crisis 

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