Over the recent months the percentage of Russians who are worried about the situation in the housing and utilities` sector has decreased; on the contrary, the percentage of those who are worried about alcohol and drug addiction has increased.
MOSCOW, July 10, 2014. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data concerning the problems that Russians think are the most important for Russia today.
Inflation bothers most of Russians (59%). The percentage of Russians who were worried about this problem was decreasing during the spring months (from 62% in March to 55% in May 2014), whereas in June it has increased up to 59%, which is four times bigger that it was a year ago (47% in June 2013).
The second important problem for Russians is housing sector and utilities services (54%): fewer Russians are worried about this problem now (from 60% to 51%), though a slight increase has been recorded over the recent month. The third important problem is the living standards (45%), followed by corruption and bureaucracy (44%) mentioned mainly by respondents with high level of income (52%).
More and more Russians are worried about the alcohol (from 31% to 39%, respectively) and drug addiction (from 34% in March to 42% in June). The percentage of Russians who mention alcohol problem is at the same level as it was a year ago (38% in June 2013), whereas the percentage of those who mention drug addiction has grown up (from 29% in June 2013); those who are most worried about this problem are residents of million cities (54%). One-third of respondents cite health care problem (32%), though this share is lower that it was a year ago (from 43% in June 2013). Those who report this problem are mainly elderly Russians (38% aged over 60), rather than young respondents (19% of 18-24-year-olds). Thirty-one percent of Russians cite pension provision. Unemployment is mentioned by 30% of respondents (36% a year ago) and by 42% of people living in the rural area.
Youth problems are cited by one-quarter of respondents (27%), especially by rural area residents (36%), rather than by those who live in Moscow,St. Petersburg (15%) or other million cities (24%). Every fifth Russian is concerned about education (22%). Ethics and morality is mentioned by 21% of respondents. Inter-ethnic relations and migration is reported by one-fifth of respondents (20%); this percentage is close to that of the previous year (21% in June 2013), but it makes up 54% among residents of Moscow and St.Petersubrg 54%.
Crime has slightly grown up (from 15% in March to 19% in June this year), however it did not exceed the levels of the previous year (22% in June 2013). Less Russians are worried about the ecology (19% vs 22% a year ago). The influence of oligarchs on the life in the country is mentioned by 19% of Russians. Delays in paying salaries concern more Russians today than a year ago (15% vs 10%), whereas the percentage of those who are worried about the economic problems is at the same level (15% vs 16%, respectively). Terrorism is mentioned by 13% of Russians; this percentage is lower than it was a year ago (15%). Least of Russians are anxious about demographic situation (9%), democracy and human rights (9%), and army (9%).
The VCIOM opinion poll was conducted on June 28-29, 2014. 1600 respondents were interviewed in 130 communities in 42 regions of Russia. Data are weighted by gender, age, education, working status and type of settlement. The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.
In your opinion, what problems are the most important for the country in general? (closed-ended question, not more than 7 answers) | |||||||||||||
| VI.13 | VII.13 | VIII.13 | IX.13 | X.13 | XI.13 | XII.13 | I.14 | II.14 | III.14 | IV.14 | V.14 | VI.14 |
Inflation | 47 | 47 | 50 | 47 | 57 | 51 | 54 | 53 | 52 | 62 | 60 | 55 | 59 |
Housing an utilities` sector | 55 | 52 | 53 | 58 | 54 | 52 | 57 | 56 | 58 | 60 | 58 | 51 | 54 |
Living standards | 46 | 43 | 46 | 49 | 41 | 51 | 46 | 45 | 45 | 42 | 47 | 46 | 45 |
Corruption and bureaucracy | 44 | 43 | 44 | 41 | 42 | 37 | 47 | 47 | 45 | 47 | 45 | 48 | 44 |
Drug addiction | 29 | 33 | 30 | 33 | 30 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 34 | 35 | 39 | 42 |
Alcohol addition | 38 | 35 | 34 | 37 | 32 | 34 | 30 | 29 | 34 | 31 | 31 | 36 | 39 |
Health care system | 43 | 37 | 34 | 36 | 35 | 32 | 40 | 34 | 38 | 33 | 36 | 31 | 32 |
Pension provision | 32 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 31 | 31 | 35 | 35 | 33 | 28 | 31 | 31 |
Unemployment | 36 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 33 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 30 |
Youth problems | 28 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 33 | 31 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 27 |
Education | 25 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 23 | 19 | 20 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 22 |
Ethics and morality | 25 | 24 | 30 | 26 | 21 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 24 | 21 |
Interethnic relations, migration | 21 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 35 | 24 | 29 | 32 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 20 |
Influence of oligarchs on economic and politic life in the country | 20 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 19 |
Crime | 22 | 24 | 22 | 27 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 15 | 16 | 20 | 19 |
Ecology and environment | 22 | 17 | 15 | 20 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 |
Economy (economic crisis) | 16 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 15 |
Delays in salary payments | 10 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 16 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 15 |
Terrorism | 15 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 27 | 13* | 29 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 13 |
Demographic situation | 14 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 |
Democracy and human rights | 9 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
Army | 13 | 14 | 10 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 |
Don`t know | <1 | <1 | <1 | 1 | <1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | <1 | <1 | 1 |
*The survey was conducted before the Volgograd terrorist attacks
In your opinion, what problems are the most important for the country in general? | |||||||
| Total | Moscow and St.Petersburg | Million cities | More than 500 ths | 100–500 ths | Less than 100 ths | Rural area |
Inflation | 59 | 56 | 58 | 60 | 62 | 57 | 60 |
Housing and utilities services` sector | 54 | 47 | 61 | 50 | 52 | 54 | 56 |
Living standards | 45 | 41 | 52 | 44 | 39 | 50 | 44 |
Corruption and bureaucracy | 44 | 41 | 45 | 46 | 43 | 46 | 43 |
Drug addiction | 42 | 25 | 54 | 34 | 47 | 42 | 43 |
Alcohol addiction | 39 | 19 | 43 | 31 | 45 | 44 | 39 |
Health care system | 32 | 31 | 24 | 39 | 37 | 29 | 31 |
Pension provision | 31 | 39 | 31 | 36 | 26 | 29 | 33 |
Unemployment | 30 | 23 | 24 | 20 | 26 | 31 | 42 |
Problems of youth | 27 | 15 | 24 | 28 | 25 | 27 | 36 |
Education | 22 | 28 | 17 | 25 | 26 | 17 | 23 |
Ethics and morality | 21 | 20 | 31 | 28 | 17 | 17 | 21 |
Interethnic relations and migration | 20 | 54 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 20 | 14 |
Crime | 19 | 17 | 25 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 18 |
Influence of oligarchs on economic and political life in the country | 19 | 21 | 12 | 28 | 19 | 19 | 18 |
Ecology and environment | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 20 |
Economy (economic crisis) | 15 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 14 | 12 | 12 |
Delays in salary payments | 15 | 13 | 21 | 7 | 18 | 13 | 16 |
Terrorism | 13 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 17 |
Army | 9 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 12 |
Democracy and human rights | 9 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 5 | 9 |
Demography | 9 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 11 | 8 |
Don`t know | 1 | 1 | 1 | <1 | 1 | <1 | <1 |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!