Results of our studies

IN BRIEF

Russians say the main threat to country is alcohol and drug addiction (57%), inflation (55%) and unemployment (50%). 

MOSCOW, September 3, 2010. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the rating of the main problems for Russia according to Russians.

As before Russians put alcohol and drug addiction on the first place (57%) among major problems Russia is facing today. This is followed by inflation   (55%) and unemployment (50%).

Standards of living, corruption (41% for each), crime (32%), situation in house and utilities sector and health care (28% for each), pension provision (27%) and youth situation (26%) are ranked among top ten problems.

Less Russians are worried about terrorism, state of morality, ecology (22% for each), and influence of oligarchs on life in Russia (20%). This is followed by problems in education (17%), demography (16%), economic crisis and delays in payment of salaries (14% for each). The situation in the Russian army and national security are of interest for 10% of respondents (for each group). Eight percent of Russians are worried about interethnic relations; those who put attention to Russia`s position in the world and Russian relations with CIS countries are 7% for each group. Extremism is seen least important problem for Russians (5%). 

The number of respondents who are anxious about alcohol and drug addiction has declined over the recent month (from 62 to 57%). Less Russians are worried about living standards (from 46 to 41%), situation in house and utilities sector (from 34 to 28%), health care system (from 32 to 28%), pension provision (from 31 to 27%), economic crisis (from 18 to 14%), as well as the problem of terrorism  (from 29 to 22%).

At the same time, Russians got more worried about inflation (from 51 to 55%) and impact of oligarchs on country`s life (from 13 to 20%). More Russians also report that ecological situation poses a threat to them (from 17 to 22%),

The initiative Russian opinion polls were conducted on August 14-15, 2010. 1600 respondents were interviewed at 140 sampling points in 42 regions of Russia. The margin of errordoes not exceed 3.4%.

What do you think are most important problems facing Russia today?

 (close-ended question, not more than seven answers)

 

 March 2008

January 2009

March  2010

April 2010

May 2010

June 2010

July 2010

August 2010

Alcohol and Drug addiction

63

53

58

61

49

51

62

57

Inflation, increase of prices for goods and services

67

61

54

46

47

50

51

55

Unemployment

25

61

59

55

55

51

48

50

Standards of living

20

32

45

40

43

43

46

41

Corruption, bureaucracy

30

41

41

40

40

39

43

41

Crimes

34

31

33

37

39

36

31

32

Situation in housing and utilities

44

24

40

38

36

33

34

28

Situation if health care

31

31

29

30

30

25

32

28

Pension provision

38

29

24

25

31

28

31

27

Situation of youth

13

23

31

30

36

33

25

26

Terrorism

32

13

10

49

34

36

29

22

State of morality

21

12

20

18

19

21

24

22

Ecology and environment

26

12

13

13

19

21

17

22

Impact of oligarchs on economic and political life

20

16

15

12

15

14

13

20

Situation in education

20

14

16

14

17

23

18

17

Demographic situation (fertility, mortality trends)

27

17

15

12

12

15

13

16

Economic crisis

-

23

18

12

13

17

18

14

Delay in paying salaries

-

20

18

14

16

16

14

14

Democracy and human rights

19

13

8

7

9

9

7

11

Situation in the army

13

12

14

12

13

13

13

10

National Security

8

15

5

8

8

8

7

10

Interethnic and interconfessional relations

8

9

6

6

4

4

6

8

Position of Russia in the world

16

16

8

6

7

10

6

7

Russia`s relations  with CIS countries

16

10

8

5

4

5

6

7

Extremism, fascism

8

4

4

6

4

9

4

5

Implementation of national projects

6

5

-

-

-

-

-

-

Upcoming change of power and problem of political continuity

7

3

-

-

-

-

-

-

Energy security

3

2

-

-

-

-

-

-

Administrative reforming

2

2

-

-

-

-

-

-

Hard to tell

2

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!

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