MOSCOW, March 3, 2010. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data concerning the purposes of Russians for saving money and in what currency. Do they follow dollar exchange rate?
Every fourth Russian today has savings (24%), however till November the number of such respondents is decreasing (from 31%). First of all, they are inhabitants of Moscow (36%) and elder people (28%). There are more amounts of people who don't have savings (from 65 to 71%). As a rule, these people are the inhabitants of towns and settlements (74-76%) and Russians of 25-59 years old.
More often Russians save money to be on the safe side and for a rainy day (27 and 24%). The third popular answer is for buying real estate (20%). Savings for medical treatment is made by 17% of Russians, for education - by 12%, for buying a car - by 11%, for vacation, entertainment or in the case of dismissal - by 9%, for buying luxury goods - by 8%. Rarely the purposes of savings are buying of out-of-town real estate or land (5%), starting a business, increase of cash assets (4%). Nevertheless 4% of respondents are not going to make savings.
The holders of savings point out often that they make it to be on the safe side or for a rainy day (29%), for vacation (13%) and for buying luxury goods (10%). Russians who don't have savings are sure that even having such a possibility, they wouldn't save money (5%).
After slight increase of trust to ruble it decreased again: the number of Russians saving money in national currency fell in October-February from 86 to 79%. Dollars and euro are less popular as before - 8 and 6% of respondents save money in foreign currency. Currency of other countries is almost not in demand (1%). Saving money in rubles is equally peculiar to all Russians except in Moscow and St. Petersburg - there national currency is less popular (79-82% vs. 71%). In Moscow and St. Petersburg people are inclined to make savings in dollars (17% vs. 5-8%) and euro (16% vs. 3-7%).
The interest of Russians to dollar exchange rate is falling: till September the amount of respondents who don't follow it decreased from 54 to 46%. The attention to dollar exchange rate is expressed by population of large cities and capitals (50%) and those who save money in it (89%).
At the same time there a greater number of respondents who don't give much attention to it (from 45 to 52%).
The initiative Russian opinion poll was conducted on January 20-21 and February 6-7, 2010. 1600 respondents were interviewed at 140 sampling points in 42 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.4 %.
Do your family have savings? (close-ended question, one answer) | ||||||||||||||
2001 | 2004 March | 2004 October | 2005 July | 2008 January | 2009 February | 2009 June | 2009 July | 2009 August | 2009 September | 2007 October | 2009 November | 2009 December | 2010 February | |
Yes | 22 | 30 | 32 | 18 | 26 | 23 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 28 | 24 |
No | 73 | 59 | 63 | 74 | 68 | 72 | 66 | 68 | 67 | 66 | 66 | 65 | 67 | 71 |
Hard to tell | 5 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
For what purposes do you or your family make savings and would you do it if you have the possibility? (close-ended question, up to 3 answers) | |||
Total respondents | Have savings | Don't have savings | |
On the safe side, as a reserve | 27 | 29 | 26 |
For a rainy day | 24 | 29 | 23 |
To buy flat or house | 20 | 19 | 21 |
For medical treatment | 17 | 17 | 17 |
For education | 12 | 17 | 17 |
To buy a car | 11 | 10 | 12 |
For vacation, entertainment. traveling | 9 | 13 | 7 |
For a case of losing work | 9 | 10 | 9 |
For buying expensive goods | 8 | 10 | 7 |
For buying land, cottage, house in garden | 5 | 7 | 5 |
For own business, buying shares | 4 | 5 | 4 |
To get extra revenue, to increase cash assets | 4 | 5 | 4 |
No savings for any purposes | 4 | 0 | 5 |
Other purposes | 4 | 5 | 4 |
Hard to tell | 7 | 3 | 8 |
For what purposes do you or your family make savings and would you do it if you have the possibility? (close-ended question, up to 3 answers) | |||
Total respondents | Have savings | Don't have savings | |
On the safe side, as a reserve | 27 | 29 | 26 |
For a rainy day | 24 | 29 | 23 |
To buy flat or house | 20 | 19 | 21 |
For medical treatment | 17 | 17 | 17 |
For education | 12 | 17 | 17 |
To buy a car | 11 | 10 | 12 |
For vacation, entertainment. traveling | 9 | 13 | 7 |
For a case of losing work | 9 | 10 | 9 |
For buying expensive goods | 8 | 10 | 7 |
For buying land, cottage, house in garden | 5 | 7 | 5 |
For own business, buying shares | 4 | 5 | 4 |
To get extra revenue, to increase cash assets | 4 | 5 | 4 |
No savings for any purposes | 4 | 0 | 5 |
Other purposes | 4 | 5 | 4 |
Hard to tell | 7 | 3 | 8 |
Do you follow dollar exchange rate? (close-ended question, one answer) | ||||||||||||
May 2006 | October 2008 | December 2008 | January 2009 | March 2009 | April 2009 | May 2009 | June 2009 | September 2009 | October 2009 | November 2009 | February 2010 | |
Yes, regularly | 22 | 17 | 17 | 24 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
Yes, sometimes | 35 | 38 | 37 | 44 | 42 | 37 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 37 | 37 | 34 |
No | 43 | 44 | 43 | 30 | 37 | 44 | 47 | 46 | 45 | 49 | 48 | 52 |
Hard to tell | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or www.wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!