Eighty percent of Crimean respondents are determined to take part in the presidential election on March 18. The political situation in Crimea is stable and has positive dynamics, according to VCIOM data.
MOSCOW, February 20, 2018. The Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the results of a study devoted to the assessments of the situation by the Crimean residents ahead of the presidential election.
One month and a half ahead of the election the political situation in the Republic of Crimea is stable, and the level of negative assessments is low. Generally, 88% of Crimeans are satisfied with their life (a record high over the recent 3 years); 10% are dissatisfied. The level of social well-being has been high over the entire period of measurement (82% and more).
Most of Crimeans are happy with the current situation in the Republic (82%) and consider that the situation is changing for the better (69%). Twenty-four percent of respondents say the situation has not changed over the recent year; 4% say it has deteriorated. As to positive changes, most of Crimeans mention construction and repairs of roads, bridges (37%), infrastructure (9%). As to negative changes, a lack of control over the rising prices (9%) and inflation (5%) are often reported.
When asked about social and economic problems, Crimeans say they do not get salary and pension increase and are not happy with decreased number of jobs and health care system.
Over the recent two years the performance of Sergey Aksenov, head of the Republic, has been highly assessed: the shares of those who are satisfied with his performance are 74% in 2016 and 73% in 2018. Eight percent of respondents provide negative assessments. Seventy-six percent of Crimeans would like Aksenov to stay in office.
Most of Crimean residents point to decreased corruption in the region: 43% say the corruption levels have decreased or have stayed at the same level; however 32% say the corruption levels have increased over the last two years or have remained consistently high. Crimeans notice the efforts the authorities are making to combat corruption. Almost every second respondent (47%) considers that Aksenov takes active anti-corruption measures.
The number of respondents who are expected to vote at the presidential election is high (80% are going to take part in the voting in March 2018). The level of support for the current head of the country is maximum (90% of Crimeans would vote for Vladimir Putin if the presidential election took place next Sunday).
The VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on January 25-28, 2018. The survey involved 1,600 Russians aged 18 and over, and was carried out using stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of landline and mobile phone numbers operating in Russia. The data were weighted according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 3.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
Are you generally satisfied/dissatisfied with the life you are living? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | |
| Total respondents |
Completely satisfied | 37 |
Rather satisfied | 51 |
Rather dissatisfied | 8 |
Completely dissatisfied | 2 |
Don't know | 2 |
Speaking about the Republic of Crimea in general, are you satisfied/dissatisfied with the situation in the Republic of Crimea in general? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | |
| Total respondents |
Quite satisfied | 39 |
Rather satisfied | 43 |
Rather dissatisfied | 12 |
Completely dissatisfied | 3 |
Don't know | 3 |
In your opinion, has the situation in the Republic of Crimea improved/deteriorated/remained unchanged over the recent year? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | |
| Total respondents |
Considerably improved | 29 |
Likely improved | 40 |
It has not changed much | 24 |
Likely deteriorated | 3 |
Considerably deteriorated | 1 |
Don't know | 3 |
In your opinion, in what areas has the situation in the Republic of Crimea improved over the recent year? (open-ended question, multiple answers, %) | |
| Total respondents |
Road and transport: roads, bridges, crosswalks are being built and fixed | 37 |
Infrastructure and construction, positive changes in general | 9 |
Situation in the city/region: shops work properly (quality and range of products are good) | 6 |
Urban land improvement, positive changes in general | 5 |
Solving children's problems: sufficient number of kindergartens | 5 |
Living standards, positive changes in general | 5 |
Healthcare system, positive changes in general | 5 |
Labor and employment: more jobs | 4 |
Road and transport: public transport system functions well | 4 |
Education, positive changes in general | 4 |
Situation in the city/region, Situation in Crimea / Construction of Crimea bridge | 3 |
Situation in the city/ region: life has improved, there is stability | 3 |
Housing and utilities: quality of services has improved/no power cuts | 3 |
Social sphere, positive changes in general | 3 |
Everything is all right; there are changes for the better; problems are being solved | 3 |
No improvements | 7 |
Other | 54 |
In your opinion, in what areas has the situation in the Republic of Crimea deteriorated over the recent year? (open-ended question, multiple answers, %) | |
| Total respondents |
Livings standards: no price regulation and control | 9 |
Living standards: no increase in salaries | 7 |
Labor and employment: decrease in jobs | 5 |
Road and transport: roads, bridges and crosswalks are not being built and fixed | 5 |
Living standards: high prices, price increase | 5 |
Healthcare, negative changes in general | 4 |
Healthcare: health services have deteriorated | 3 |
Situation in the city / region: queueing at institutions / when submitting documents | 3 |
Housing and utilities: unaffordable, high tariffs | 3 |
Situation in the city / region: no fight against bureaucracy / difficult paperwork | 3 |
Changes for the better are not seen; problems are not being solved / everything is bad | 1 |
None/ no problem | 30 |
Other | 33 |
Don't know | 17 |
What are you/your family members mostly worried about? Please, cite several most important problems (open-ended question, multiple answers, %) | |
| Total respondents |
Living standards: no salary increase | 13 |
Labor and employment: decrease in jobs, redundancies | 12 |
Healthcare, negative decisions in general | 7 |
Living standards, negative decisions in general | 6 |
Living standards: no pension increase | 6 |
Road and transport: roads, bridges, crosswalks are not being built or fixed | 6 |
Living standards: high prices, price increase | 4 |
Healthcare: quality of health services has deteriorated | 4 |
Situation in the city / region: queues at institutions / when submitting documents | 4 |
Housing and utilities: unaffordable, high tariffs | 3 |
Children's problems: lack of kindergartens | 3 |
Housing problem: no affordable housing | 3 |
Situation in the city / region: no fight against bureaucracy / difficult paperwork | 3 |
Healthcare: lack of personnel, long queues at polyclinics | 3 |
Healthcare: no free services, commercialization of healthcare | 3 |
Labor and employment: no jobs for the young people | 3 |
Road and transport: poor work of public transport | 3 |
Living standards: no price regulation and control | 3 |
Housing problem, negative decisions in general | 2 |
Housing and utilities sector: no gasification of certain houses | 2 |
Education problems, negative decisions in general | 2 |
Housing and utilities: quality of services has worsened | 2 |
Housing and utilities: poor quality of water / no water supply | 2 |
None | 21 |
Other | 41 |
Don't know | 5 |
Sergey Aksenov has been the head of the Republic of Crimea for four years. Assessing his performance, would you say that he performs his duties well or poorly? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | |
| Total respondents |
Definitely well | 24 |
Rather well | 49 |
Rather poorly | 7 |
Definitely poorly | 1 |
I know nothing about his job | 7 |
Don’t know /I don’t know who he is | 12 |
In your opinion, should the head of the Crimean Republic be replaced by another person, or would you like Sergey Aksenov to stay in office? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | |
| Total respondents |
I am sure Sergey Aksenov should stay in office | 38 |
It would be better to let him stay in office | 38 |
It would be better to replace him | 10 |
I am sure he should be replaced | 5 |
Don’t know | 9 |
In your opinion, over the recent two years has the level of corruption (bribery in public bodies) changed/ increased/decreased in the Republic of Crimea? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | |
| Total respondents |
Corruption level has increased | 5 |
Corruption level has decreased | 37 |
Corruption level has not changed. It has been consistently high | 27 |
Corruption level has not changed. It has been consistently low | 6 |
Don’t know | 25 |
In your opinion, do the head of the Republic Sergey Aksenov and the public bodies take any measures to combat corruption? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | |
| Total respondents |
The head of the Republic and the republican bodies take real measures to combat corruption | 47 |
The head of the Republic and the republican bodies take half measures to combat corruption | 32 |
The head of the Republic and the republican bodies do not take any measures to combat corruption | 7 |
Don’t know | 14 |
Will you take part in the Presidential election taking place in March 2018? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | |
| Total respondents |
Definitely yes | 80 |
Rather yes | 9 |
Rather no | 2 |
Definitely no | 2 |
Not decided yet; I will decide right before the elections | 7 |
Don’t know | 0 |
If the Presidential election took place next Sunday and the list of candidates looked as follows, who would you rather vote for? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | |
| Total respondents |
Putin Vladimir | 90 |
Grudinin Pavel | 2 |
Zhirinovsky Vladimir | 1 |
Sobchak Xenia | 1 |
I would not take part in voting | 1 |
Other | 0 |
I will come and spoil the ballot | 0 |
Titov Boris | 0 |
Yavlinsky Grigory | 0 |
Don’t know | 4 |
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!