MOSCOW, January 23, 2009. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data about which problems Russians consider the most important for the country in general and for them personally. 

The first position among the problems which Russians consider to be the most important for the country is strongly held by inflation, rising prices for goods and services (61%); this year this was supplemented by unemployment (61%) as well. The third position is held by alcoholism and drug addiction (53%). That is followed by corruption and bureaucracy (41%), wealth (32%), crime and situation in health service (31% for each), pension provision (29%), housing (24%), economic crisis and position of youth (23% for each). The next in a row are problems that deal with delayed payment of salaries (20%), demographic situation (17%), the influence of oligarchs (tycoons) on the economic and political situation and the position of Russia in the world (16% for each group), national security (15%), situation in education (14%), democracy, human rights and terrorism (13% for each), state of morality and situation in the army (12% for each), relations with CIS countries (10%), interethnic and interfaith relations (9%). 

Compared with the previous year Russians express more concern about unemployment (61%), though last year only the quarter of Russians (25%) were concerned about that. Economic crisis (23%) and delayed payments (20%) appeared for the first time in the list of problems and ranked high.  Among issues that Russians are worried about more than last year are corruption and bureaucracy (41% against 30% in 2008), public wealth (32% against 20%), position of youth (23% against 13%), national security (15% against 8%). 

On the contrary, Russians are less concerned about such problems as alcoholism and drug addiction (from 63% in 2008 to 53% this year), pension provision (from 38% to 29%), situation in the housing sector (from 44% to 24%), demographic situation (from 27% to 17%), oligarchs influence on the economic and political life of the country (from 20% to 16%), situation in education (from 20% to 14%), democracy and human rights (from 19% to 13%), terrorism (from 32% o 13%), state of morality ( from 21% to 12%), ecology and state of environment (from 26% to 12%), relations with CIS countries (from 16% to 10%). 

As for the personal problems, top places are held by the same issues: inflation and rising of prices (66%, 68% - last year) and unemployment (42% against 28% in 2008). The third position is held by wealth (41% against 26%); situation in health service, vice versa, became less important (39% against 44%). This is followed by pension provision (34% against 37%), situation in the housing sector (29% against 45%) and so on.  Economic crisis (27%) and delayed payments of salaries (24%) appeared first in the list.  

The issues that Russians are concerned more personally than for the country in general are inflation and rising prices (66% against 61%). For the individual himself more important are such topics as wealth (41% against 32%), situation in health service (39% against 31%),  pension provision (34% against 29%), situation in the housing sector  (29% against 24%), economic crisis (27% against 23%), delayed payment of salaries (24% against 20%), situation in education (19% against 14%). 

On the contrary, the problem of unemployment appeared to be the most important nationwide (61%) rather than for Russians personally (42%). The list of topics that Russians consider more important for the state than for them separately  includes the following problems: crime (31% against 26%), alcoholism and drug addiction (53% against 25%), corruption and unemployment (41% against 24%), demographic situation (17% against 5%), position of Russia in the world (16% against 7%), oligarchs influence on the economic and political life of the country (16% against 6%), national security (15% against 7%), terrorism (13% against 9%), relations with CIS countries (10% against 4%), interethnic and interfaith relations (9% against 3%).  

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