MOSCOW, March 20, 2009. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the following data: which forecasts Russians make about their families` financial state within the nearest year and what the possible reasons for its improvement or deterioration are.
Despite the current economic situation, more than third of Russians are confident that financial state of their families will not change in the nearest year (38%). 32% have pessimistic forecasts. At the same time, 13% think that financial state of their families will be improved. 18% were undecided.
The smaller the locality is, the more its residents tend to say that their families` financial state will not change in a year: 29% of Muscovites and St.Petersburgians against 45% of rural area citizens. This point of view is shared also by respondents aged 60 and above (43%), as well as respondents with elementary and incomplete secondary education (46%). Mostly capitals` residents (41%), Russians above 45-years-old (35%) and respondents with secondary and special secondary education (33% and 35% respectively) tend to forecast the deterioration of financial state. Residents of the middle cities (18%), Russians aged under 34 (21-23%) and respondents with higher or incomplete higher education level (15%) show more optimism.
The forecasts of the people with different financial condition self-esteem do not coincide. Those who have high financial state self-esteem tend to think their financial state will not change (45% against 34% among those who have low self-esteem) or will be improved (26% against 9%). Those who estimate their financial condition as being "bad" or "very bad" are often more pessimistic (42% against 18% among those whose self-esteem is "good" or "very good").
Different professional groups' representatives assess their financial state in a different way. Those who are confident of its stability are often unqualified personnel including agriculture, as well as military stuff in the army and Internal Affairs (53% for each). On the contrary, the unemployed and qualified workers including agriculture are those who think that the financial state will get worsened (36% and 35% respectively). The most optimistic respondents are businessmen and entrepreneurs: 36% of them are confident of the improvement of their families` financial state in the nearest future.
In most of the cases those Russians who expect financial state improving rely on their primary work salary (57%). Every forth Russians count on additional job salary (25%). This is followed by incomes gained from private entrepreneurship or pensions (12% for each), or unofficial job salary (10%).
Russians rarer rely on allowances, financial help from relatives and friends, as well as income from selling products produced in private farm or plot and any other receipts (4% for each), scholarships (3%), rental incomes (2%), unemployment benefits, alimony, income from selling real estate and property, and interest rate incomes (1% for each).
The number of financial sources to improve the financial state has reduced over the year. Russians less rely on primary work earnings (57% against 61% in 2008) as well as their unofficial job (10% against 14%), and other receipts (4% against 8%). On the contrary, the share of respondents who reckon on additional work earnings has increased (25% against 19% in 2008).
Inflation is the basic "enemy" of financial state! It is prices increase that is marked by those Russians who consider it to be the reason for worsening financial state (72%). Half of our citizens (50%) point out the increased costs, and every fifth (21%) mention the loss of the primary job. 10% think that the financial state will get worsened due to the loss of the additional work (10%). This is followed by such factors as the loss or reduction of other receipts (7%), financial assistance from friends and relatives (6%), the loss of the unofficial job (5%), the loss of social allowances and compensations (4%), the need to pay interests on the loan (3%), the loss or reduction of incomes from selling products produced in private farm or plot (2%). And finally, 1% mentions the loss of scholarship, unemployment benefits, alimony, private enterprise closure, reduction of interest rates on deposits.
Over the previous year Russians has become to link their financial state` deterioration with particular factors. Russians point out the role of inflation (from 67% to 72%), and increased costs (from 43% to 50%). The share of Russians who refer to the loss of the primary job (10% against 21%) or part-time job (4% against 10%) has doubled. However, the need to pay interests on credit is mentioned rarer by Russians (3% in 2008 against 7% in this year).
The initiative Russian opinion poll was conducted on February 28 - March 1, 2009. 1600 respondents were interviewed at 140 sampling points in 42 regions of Russia.
The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.
In your opinion, how much will the financial state of your family be changed in the nearest year? | |||||
| Total respondents | Education | |||
Elementary or lower, incomplete secondary
| Secondary(school or college) | Secondary special(technical school) | Incomplete higher(not less than 3 year ), higher | ||
Likely improve | 13 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 15 |
Remain stable | 38 | 46 | 39 | 35 | 37 |
Likely worsen | 32 | 24 | 33 | 35 | 29 |
Hard to tell | 18 | 21 | 16 | 18 | 19 |
In your opinion, how much will the financial state of your family be changed in the nearest year? | ||||
| Total respondents | Financial state self-esteem | ||
Very good, good | Average | Bad, very bad | ||
Likely improve | 13 | 26 | 12 | 9 |
Remain stable | 38 | 45 | 39 | 34 |
Likely worsen | 32 | 18 | 28 | 42 |
Hard to tell | 18 | 11 | 20 | 15 |
In your opinion, how much will the financial state of your family be changed in the nearest year? | |||||||||||||
| Total respondents | Qualified personnel, including agriculture | Unqualified personnel, including agriculture | Military staff, including Internal Affairs and militia | Businessmen, entrepreneur | Public servant, administration employee | Production specialist with higher education | Specialist with higher education outside production (science, culture, others).) | Employees without higher education (secretary, office worker) | Unemployed registered | School students, students | Pensioners, unemployed | Busy with household chores |
Likely improve | 13 | 14 | 4 | 13 | 36 | 29 | 17 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 20 | 6 | 22 |
Remain stable | 38 | 33 | 53 | 53 | 39 | 26 | 39 | 32 | 42 | 26 | 35 | 45 | 28 |
Likely worsen | 32 | 35 | 31 | 13 | 7 | 21 | 26 | 32 | 27 | 36 | 29 | 33 | 31 |
Hard to tell | 18 | 18 | 13 | 20 | 18 | 24 | 18 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 17 | 16 | 19 |
Could you please mark at the expense of which sources are you going to improve the financial state of your family? (close-ended question, not more than three answers, % of those who are expecting the improvement of financial state in the nearest year) | ||
| 2008 | 2009 |
Primary employment salary | 61 | 57 |
Additional employment salary (part-time, contract, labour agreement et cetera) | 19 | 25 |
Income from private enterprising, business (including income from self-employment) | 11 | 12 |
Pension (contributory, disability support, social pensions et cetera) | 12 | 12 |
Unofficial income - regular or non-regular, constant or temporary) | 14 | 10 |
Allowances for children, other allowances, compensations | 3 | 4 |
Financial assistance from relatives, friends, close people | 6 | 4 |
Income from selling products produced in private farm or garden plot | 4 | 4 |
Scholarships | 2 | 3 |
Income from home, countryside house, garage, plot or others rentals | 2 | 2 |
Unemployment benefits | 1 | 1 |
Alimony | 0 | 1 |
Income from selling real estate, property | 2 | 1 |
Deposit interest rates | 1 | 1 |
Other receipts | 8 | 4 |
Hard to tell | 5 | 1 |
Could you please mark why are you expecting the deterioration of the financial state of your family? (close-ended question, not more than three answers, % of those who are expecting the worsening of the financial state) | ||
| 2008 | 2009 |
High increases of prices, inflation | 67 | 72 |
Increase of costs | 43 | 50 |
Loss of the primary job | 10 | 21 |
Loss of the additional job (part-time, contract, labour agreement et cet.) | 4 | 10 |
Loss/reduction of financial assistance from relatives, friends, close people | 3 | 6 |
Loss of the unofficial job | 2 | 5 |
Loss of social allowances, compensations | 6 | 4 |
Need to pay interests on the loan | 7 | 3 |
Loss/reduction of income from selling products produced in private farm or garden plot | 2 | 2 |
Private business closure | 0 | 1 |
Loss of scholarship | 1 | 1 |
Loss of the Unemployment benefits | 0 | 1 |
Loss/ reduction of alimony | 1 | 1 |
Reduction of interest rates on deposits | 1 | 1 |
Loss/ reduction of other receipts | 6 | 7 |
Hard to tell | 11 | 2 |
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!