Russians see rising prices as the main issue facing the country, according to a survey from the Levada Center polling agency. When asked to identify the country’s main problems from a list, 58 percent of Russian respondents selected rising prices. That marks a decrease from 2018, when rising prices were named as a concern by three-quarters of Russians. 40 percent selected poverty as one of the country’s main problems, followed by 39 percent who pointed to corruption and graft.
Further down Levada’s list, 36 percent of respondents said they were most worried about unemployment and 26 percent about class divide.
Several months of inflation have driven prices for basic commodities like sugar, sunflower oil and pasta, prompting President Vladimir Putin to call for emergency measures to cap prices. Shortly before the poll’s publication Tuesday, the Russian government announced tighter price controls on food and other products.
