Number of rich surges in Russia

Over the past two years, the number of rich people in Russia grew 150 percent, according to a public-opinion poll made by the Russian market and media research company Comcon. The poll has covered 6,000 Muscovites and 36,000 residents of other regions of Russia. The poll has made out an optimistic trend: almost 3 percent of the respondents consider themselves as rich, i.e. having no difficulty in buying an apartment or a country cottage, up from 1 percent two years ago. Twenty percent of the people polled can afford to purchase refrigerators and washing machines, up from 10 percent two years back. However, 38.3 percent of Muscovites still spend their money exclusively on clothes and food, up only 2 percent, the Izvestia newspaper reported.