MOSCOW, August 5 (RIA Novosti) – Happiness index in Russia has remained at 78 points for the past three months despite the increasing sanctions burden, according to the country’s opinion research agency VCIOM.
A public opinion poll conducted by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) showed Tuesday that the “satisfaction with life” index has remained unchanged at 78 points since July.
According to the early August poll, the social optimism index is flat at 77 points, while welfare standards assessments have been on the rise since May, climbing to 76 points.
The survey, which polled 1,600 Russians across 42 regions, shows that the nation’s overall assessment of the country’s economy rose by six points to 69 points following a slump in June.
The economic sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union over the crisis in Ukraine seem to have little effect on Russians. According to the polls, Russians are now far less concerned about the future of their country than they were last year.
Twenty-three percent of Russians have not ruled out the possibility of a war with neighboring countries, up from just 10 percent last year. However, those concerned about a Western military threat has held steady at 13 percent for the past eight years.
