DUSHANBE, December 29, 2015, Asia-Plus -- The share of poor families in Russia—those with not enough income to buy food or clothing—over the past year has almost doubled from 22 percent to 39 percent, according to the Russian Public Opinion Research Center.

The proportion of families with a “good” or “very good” financial position has remained the same as the previous year at 14 percent. Since December 2013, those counted within the middle income range have decreased from 72 percent to 64 percent in December 2015.

Better consumer prices and choice grew steadily through 2014, when poor families (with enough income for food, but lacking spare funds for clothing) were counted at 22 percent of the population.  In 2015, the “poor” share grew to 39 percent, which is equivalent to the 2009 level.  Increases in the “poor” category impacted the elderly, in particular.  In the study''s sample, the elderly were on average 55 percent more likely to be negatively affected.  The proportion of families characterized to be in a “poor” or “very poor” financial state in 2013–2014 was only 16 percent

The center''s sociologists also emphasize the many great improvements to families'' financial situations since 2005.

Meanwhile, experts say the problem of poverty in Russia is most likely to intensify in the coming years.  While the Russian authorities are taking measures to provide social support to the population, these efforts are insufficient to reverse this trend.

Russian Public Opinion Research Center, which is one of Russia''s leading sociological and market research companies, is the oldest sociological company in the post-Soviet area.  The state-owned and government-run institution reports to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.  It was established in 1987 under the decree issued by VCSPS (All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions) and USSR State Committee of Labor as All-Union Public Opinion Research Center (in 1992 renamed the Russian Public Opinion Research Center).  The Center conducts “full cycle” marketing, social and political research, from instrument design and data collection to analysis and presentation of findings to the clients.