Residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg most acutely feel the lack of affordable housing (65% of Muscovites and 54% of St. Petersburg residents) and high salaries (58% and 46% respectively), according to a new study by the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation and Ingosstrakh.
Analysts note that another significant issue for Muscovites and St. Petersburg residents is the poor climate (24% and 34% respectively) and the absence of a warm sea with beaches (25% of Muscovites and 20% of St. Petersburg residents). Quality healthcare is inaccessible to 24% of St. Petersburg residents and 22% of Muscovites, while problems with housing and communal services concern 20% of St. Petersburg residents and 9% of Muscovites. Good roads are lacking for 17% of Muscovites and 7% of St. Petersburg residents.
Less concerning issues include the environmental situation (11% of Muscovites and 6% of St. Petersburg residents), business conditions (9% of Muscovites and 4% of St. Petersburg residents), and the quality of public transport and the education system (4% and 2% respectively).
Alexei Zubets, Director of the Institute of Socio-Economic Research at the Financial University, expressed hope for salary growth in the coming years, predicting an average salary of 115,000 rubles by 2027, with an increase in real purchasing power by 5% annually.
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