MOSCOW, June 4 (RIA Novosti) – Russians are now happier than ever with their lives, according to a new poll released on Tuesday by the state-run public-opinion researcher, VTsIOM.
The index of the population's social optimism has risen sharply from 67 in early spring to 74, a record high since the poll was started in 2005, beating the previous record of 70 in May 2012.
Russians are also more positive than before about their own way of life - 61 points compared to 53 last spring, which is the highest ever recorded figure by the pollster, the study found.
Russians are also more optimistic about their family financial situation – rising to 67 points from 57 in April 2012.
Russians' assessment of their country's economic performance was much less optimistic, scoring just 45, down from 56 last May. Russia's "political situation" was rated at 59-60, down slightly from 63 in 2012, while the statement that "the country is heading in the right direction" scored 54 points, down from 59 last year.
The poll involved 1,600 respondents, and was conducted May 25-26 in 46 Russian regions. The margin of error is 3.4 percent. The scoring system runs from minus 100 for most negative attitude to 100 for most positive.
