Page 19 - RUSRptSept18

Russia's consumer confidence index came in at -8 in the second quarter of 2018 , unchanged from the previous three-month period and remaining at the highest level since the third quarter of 2014. There was an improvement in expectations regarding the country's economic situation (up 1 point to 2) while households' personal finances outlook was flat (at -2). Meanwhile, the index measuring changes in personal finances during the last 12 months was unchanged at -9; and the gauge of the Russian general economic performance over the past year decreased 1 point to -8. The Major Purchase index increased 1 point to -22. Consumer Confidence in Russia averaged -14.63 Index Points from 1998 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 1 Index Points in the third quarter of 2008 and a record low of -59 Index Points in the fourth quarter of 1998.
2.11 Putin & government’s popularity
The proposed hike to retirement ages has dominated the government sentiment rankings in the few months and while president Vladimir Putin’s popularity has fallen as a result it was those of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and the government that actually introduced the reform that took the biggest knocks.
Putin’s popularity fell from highs of 82% earlier this year to 70% in the August poll by independent pollster the Levada Center, while those of Medvedev fell from 42% prior the pension decision in July to 28% in the August poll vs 71% of respondents that disapprove of him. This is an even lower score than he had following anti-corruption blogger and opposition
19 RUSSIA Country Report September 2018 www.intellinews.com