Macedonians Feel Poor but Upbeat, Survey

Skopje | Photo by: Balakan Insight

Almost half of the surveyed Macedonians said their financial position was worse today than it was five years ago when Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski came to power, the survey by the local Rating agency said.

The poll was conducted on behalf of the daily newspaper Dnevnik.

More precisely, 46 per cent of respondents said their finances had deteriorated since five years ago, 32 per cent said they were the same and 22 per cent said life was better now than before.

Asked whether they earned enough to put some money aside, only tiny 9 per cent answered in the affirmative.
 
Another 49 per cent said they managed to cover basic needs while 42 per cent said they barely survived from month to month, and had to borrow or do without basics to get by.

More surprisingly, levels of optimism among people for a brighter future remain high.
Some 73 per cent of ethnic Macedonians said they remained optimistic, as did 55 per cent of ethnic Albanians, who make one quarter of the country's population of 2.1 million.

Dnevnik is the biggest circulation daily newspaper in the country. The newspaper often commissions opinion polls on subjects of public interest.