The survey took place between 23 and 26 January 2015 and was conducted throughout all of Russia in both urban and rural settings. The survey was carried out among 1600 people over the age of 18 in 134 localities of 46 of the country’s regions. The answer distribution is presented as percentages of the number of participants along with data from previous surveys. The statistical error of these studies does not exceed 3.4%.
WHAT HAS CAUSED THE MOST PROBLEMS OR CONCERNS IN THE CURRENT SITUATION? (one answer)
| Price increases |
41 |
| Declining standards of living; inability to maintain the higher standard of living of the last few years |
16 |
| Depreciation of money; collapse of the ruble |
15 |
| Job loss; possible job loss for you or your family members |
8 |
| Political instability; unclear future for the country |
6 |
| Sharp decline in your family’s income |
6 |
| Decline in production; economic collapse in the country |
5 |
| Other |
1 |
| It is difficult to say |
2 |
IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT IS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE RISE IN PRICES FOR FOOD, GOODS, AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES? (multiple answers given)
|
Aug. 07 |
Jan. 15 |
|
| Collapse of the ruble; depreciation of money |
-* |
51 |
| Falling oil prices |
-* |
37 |
| Scheming of swindlers and speculators |
20 |
27 |
| Decline in production |
-* |
23 |
| Exchange of sanctions between Russia and the West |
-* |
22 |
| Lack of government oversight |
30 |
17 |
| High interest rate on loans |
-* |
10 |
| Low competition in the food and produce markets |
8 |
10 |
| Insufficient supply of goods and services |
3 |
8 |
| The state is printing too much currency and it is depreciating the value |
8 |
4 |
| Rapidly rising incomes |
5 |
-* |
| Other |
5 |
1 |
| It is difficult to say |
21 |
6 |
* The answer was not offered.
HAVE YOU BEEN FOLLOWING THE OFFICIAL DATA ON THE RATE OF PRICE INCREASES (INFLATION)? IF SO, THEN BY HOW MUCH, ON AVERAGE, DID THE OFFICIAL PRICE ESTIMATES INCREASE OVER THE 12 MONTHS OF 2014?
| Average rating: |
29 |
| I don’t follow the official data on inflation rates (in % of respondents) |
43 |
| I follow the official data on inflation rates, but I don’t remember the exact numbers (in % of respondents) |
22 |
EVERY FAMILY PURCHASES MANY DIFFERENT GOODS AND SERVICES OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR, AND THE PRICES ON EACH HAVE CHANGED DIFFERENTLY. ON AVERAGE, BY WHAT PERCENT HAVE PRICES ON THE GOODS AND SERVICES THAT YOUR FAMILY PURCHASES INCREASED FROM JANUARY 2014 TO JANUARY 2015? (one answer)
| Less than 15% |
9 |
| 15%-50% |
54 |
| 50%-100% |
23 |
| More than 100% |
3 |
| It is difficult to say |
12 |
HAS THE INCREASE IN PRICES IN RECENT MONTHS AFFECTED THE LIVING STANDARDS TO WHICH YOUR FAMILY IS ACCUSTOMED? (one answer)
|
Mar. 09* |
Jan. 15 |
|
| It hasn’t caused significant difficulties |
24 |
19 |
|
It has caused significant difficulties, but we have maintained the living standards to which we are accustomed |
48 |
54 |
|
It has caused serious difficulties, and we can no longer live as we used to |
25 |
22 |
| It is difficult to say |
3 |
5 |
* The question was given in following format: “FOOD PRICES ARE CONSTANTLY INCREASING. HAS THE INCREASE IN FOOD PRICES IN RECENT MONTHS AFFECTED THE LIVING STANDARDS TO WHICH YOUR FAMILY IS ACCUSTOMED?
I WILL NOW NAME SEVERAL TYPES OF FOOD PRODUCTS. FOR EACH, TELL ME IF YOU CURRENTLY PURCHASE MORE OF THAT PRODUCT, THE SAME AMOUNT, OR LESS OF THAT PRODUCT THAN YOU DID IN JANUARY OF LAST YEAR? (100% for each line)
|
|
Much more |
Slightly more |
About the same |
Slightly less |
Much less |
It is difficult to say |
|
…meat products? |
||||||
|
Mar. 09 |
2 |
1 |
46 |
32 |
17 |
2 |
|
Jan. 15 |
3 |
4 |
41 |
34 |
16 |
3 |
|
…flour, cereals, pasta? |
||||||
|
Mar. 09 |
2 |
8 |
74 |
11 |
4 |
2 |
|
Jan. 15 |
3 |
8 |
72 |
13 |
3 |
2 |
|
…confectionery goods? |
||||||
|
Mar. 09 |
1 |
2 |
50 |
28 |
14 |
4 |
|
Jan. 15 |
2 |
2 |
44 |
35 |
13 |
3 |
|
…fruits? |
||||||
|
Mar. 09 |
1 |
4 |
43 |
30 |
19 |
3 |
|
Jan. 15 |
3 |
3 |
36 |
33 |
21 |
2 |
APPROXIMATELY WHAT PORTION OF YOUR FAMILY’S INCOME IS SPENT ON FOOD PRODUCTS?
|
Less than half |
About half |
About two thirds |
Almost all |
It is difficult to say |
|
|
Jan. 15 |
20 |
41 |
24 |
7 |
7 |
|
Apr. 14 |
31 |
38 |
19 |
7 |
5 |
|
Apr. 13 |
17 |
43 |
25 |
8 |
7 |
|
Apr. 12 |
23 |
38 |
24 |
9 |
6 |
|
Apr. 11 |
17 |
36 |
26 |
15 |
5 |
|
Aug. 10 |
22 |
41 |
20 |
12 |
5 |
|
Sept. 09 |
16 |
40 |
25 |
13 |
5 |
|
Apr. 08 |
18 |
39 |
23 |
14 |
5 |
|
Aug. 07 |
18 |
36 |
26 |
13 |
8 |
|
Aug. 06 |
15 |
37 |
29 |
16 |
4 |
|
Jan. 05 |
14 |
32 |
29 |
22 |
3 |
|
Dec. 04 |
14 |
33 |
28 |
23 |
3 |
|
Feb. 02 |
6 |
24 |
29 |
37 |
4 |
|
Feb. 99 |
5 |
15 |
21 |
55 |
4 |
|
Nov. 92 |
4 |
15 |
25 |
54 |
2 |
|
June 91 |
6 |
20 |
40 |
30 |
5 |
THINKING OF YOUR FAMILY LIFE, WHAT GOALS HAVE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS SET FOR YOURSELVES?
|
Nov. 98 |
Nov. 00 |
Nov. 01 |
Mar. 03 |
Apr. 04 |
Aug. 06 |
Aug. 07 |
Mar. 09 |
Mar. 10 |
Mar. 11 |
Jan. 15 |
|
| Survive, even if it is at the most primitive level of existence |
28 |
21 |
18 |
16 |
18 |
15 |
20 |
21 |
23 |
21 |
13 |
| Live no worse than the majority of families in your city or region |
48 |
46 |
48 |
56 |
50 |
56 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
54 |
58 |
| Live better than the majority of families in your city or region |
12 |
19 |
17 |
17 |
21 |
20 |
17 |
16 |
15 |
17 |
20 |
| Live the same as the average family in Western Europe or the US |
9 |
11 |
13 |
9 |
8 |
7 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
6 |
|
Live better than the average family in Western Europe or the US |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT OF RUSSIA CAN SOLVE THE ECONOMIC PROBLEMS THAT THE COUNTRY IS FACING? IS IT ENTIRELY LIKELY, QUITE LIKELY, UNLIKELY, OR VERY UNLIKELY?
|
Apr. 09 |
Jan. 15 |
|
| Entirely likely |
8 |
10 |
| Quite likely |
36 |
38 |
| Unlikely |
37 |
35 |
| Very unlikely |
8 |
8 |
| It is difficult to say |
11 |
10 |
IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT IS THE GREATEST THREAT TO RUSSIA RIGHT NOW? (multiple answers given)
|
|
Feb. 08 |
Jan. 09 |
Jan. 10 |
Jan. 11 |
Jan. 12 |
Mar. 13 |
Jan. 14 |
Jan. 15 |
| Rise in prices, impoverishment of the general population |
51 |
55 |
47 |
62 |
58 |
55 |
49 |
54 |
| The economic crisis |
22 |
59 |
39 |
30 |
38 |
26 |
29 |
49 |
| Russia’s involvement in military conflicts abroad |
14 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
9 |
6 |
12 |
33 |
| Rise in unemployment |
30 |
56 |
43 |
42 |
40 |
30 |
31 |
26 |
| Rising tensions with the West |
12 |
5 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
7 |
22 |
| An increasingly uncertain future |
-* |
22 |
14 |
17 |
20 |
22 |
12 |
16 |
| Conflicts with neighboring countries and the CIS |
8 |
13 |
5 |
6 |
6 |
4 |
9 |
13 |
| Increasing dependence on the West; transformation of Russia into a third-tier power |
15 |
7 |
11 |
12 |
16 |
15 |
11 |
11 |
| Weakness and incompetence of the country’s leadership |
14 |
7 |
15 |
14 |
20 |
16 |
13 |
9 |
| Abuse of power |
20 |
8 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
18 |
12 |
9 |
| Colonization of Russia; plundering of the nation’s wealth by foreigners |
17 |
6 |
10 |
14 |
12 |
14 |
12 |
8 |
| Civil war |
– |
3 |
2 |
3 |
8 |
4 |
5 |
7 |
| Collapse of Russia into separate regions |
18 |
5 |
9 |
10 |
10 |
14 |
12 |
6 |
| Lines, the deficit, food rationing |
-* |
4 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
| Mass repression, the persecution of dissidents |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
| Threats to private property, infringement on the interests of business |
3 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
| Aggravation of the situation in the Caucasus |
9 |
5 |
6 |
8 |
5 |
7 |
9 |
2 |
| Redistribution of property, seized from those who rightfully earned it |
4 |
2 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
| Restriction of freedom (freedom of speech, closed borders) |
2 |
<1 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
| Establishment of a dictatorship |
3 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
| Increasing crime rates |
32 |
23 |
29 |
29 |
26 |
27 |
21 |
<1 |
| Other |
6 |
7 |
9 |
8 |
6 |
6 |
5 |
3 |
| It is difficult to say |
10 |
5 |
8 |
4 |
5 |
9 |
7 |
6 |
* This variant was not offered.
Translated by Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (formerly Monterey Institute of International Studies).