MOSCOW, February 05, 2008 Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents information on how Russians estimate the opportunities that there exist to save up money at the present time and in the nearest future.

26% of respondents state that their family has savings. Two thirds of respondents do not have savings at all. Residents of Moscow and Saint Petersburg possess the highest saving possibilities (36% of them have savings, whereas no more than 20-28% of residents of other cities, towns or villages do).

The share of Russians, who have savings, remained the same during the last three years; however, the savings of those, who had them, grew with the time. Moreover the growth rates of the savings were of uneven character. Every third respondent (32%) spoke about an increase in his savings in January 2005, whereas every fourth respondent (26%) spoke about a decrease in them. The rate of savings increase has accelerated by January 2007 (+58%, -9%), while it has again lowered at the beginning of 2008 (+39%, -16%).

28% of respondents with high estimation of own financial standing mention that their savings have increased during the last year, and only 11% admit that theirs were reduced. The group with average estimation of the same factor, split into two nearly equal halves of those whose savings have grown and those whose savings have been reduced (15% in each of the two groups). At the same time, in the group most poorly provided for, no more than 4% of respondents managed to increase their savings, and 27% speak of theirs having decreased.

The share of optimists who believed, that their investment opportunities would improve, was less numerous than the share of pessimists (+13%,-27%) in January 2005. These two groups were practically even at the beginning of 2007 (+17%,-16%); however, in January 2008 the share of pessimists again a little exceeded the share of optimists (+15%,-19%). In general, Russians have become more cautious when providing forecasts as far as their savings and free cash investment opportunities are concerned; the share of the respondents who find it hard to give a forecast has increased from 17% up to 28% over the last three years.

Respondents of 35 years of age and older than that expect, that their opportunities to save up and invest free cash are more likely to decrease. The older generation (at the age of 60 and senior) is especially pessimistically disposed: only 5% in this group expect an increase in their opportunities, and 24% expect a decrease to set in. Respondents younger than 35 years of age are more likely to expect an improvement of their saving opportunities (24% of them count on an improvement of their current situation, 12-18% rather expect it to deteriorate).

The initiative All-Russia opinion poll was conducted by VCIOM on January 26-27, 2008. 1600 respondents were interviewed in 153 population areas of 46 regions of Russia. The statistical error does not exceed 3.4%.