Press releases

On average, respondents believe that the monthly salary for a family of four which marks the poverty level is 22,210 CZK however the most frequent response stated 20,000 CZK. The concept of the poverty level continuously changes with the perception of income which would be sufficient to cover basic requirements of the respondents’ household needs. People with a higher standard of living also define the poverty level to be higher.

60% of respondents read at least sometimes about politics in newspapers (a total of ‘often’ and ‘sometimes’ answers), whereas 11% do not. At least a half of respondents at least sometimes discuss politics with friends but 74% of those polled never persuade their friends to adopt the same opinion. Almost 80% of respondents get ‘hardly ever’ or ‘never’ involved in solving public problems.

In late March and early April, 35% of those polled said they were satisfied with the current political situation in the Czech Republic (‘very satisfied’ – 2%, ‘quite satisfied’ – 33%), whereas 60% were dissatisfied (‘quite dissatisfied’ – 43% and ‘very dissatisfied’ – 17%) and 5% did not know.

Confidence in the army (56%) and courts (41%) has reached its historical maximum, however, in the case of media (57%) the level of public confidence is at its historical minimum. The police is trusted by 53%, Constitutional court by 51%, churches by 34%, banks by 33%, trade unions by 29% of the respondents. Political parties enjoy confidence of only 12% of the respondents, 79% regard them...

The following two statements met with the greatest response from those surveyed. 91% of them agreed with the statement ‘hard-working people deserve to earn more than others’, whereas 6% did not. The respondents took a similar stance on the last statement saying that ‘it is right that people with more talent and abilities make more money’. A total of 90% of respondents agreed with this statement, while 6% of those participating in the survey disagreed.

In the survey from the end of February to the beginning of March 2002 three fifths (60% of respondents) the standard of living of their household as being good, compared to 37% who described it as being bad. At the end of March and beginning of April, the ratio of the positive evaluation was increased by 6% to a total of 66% with a currently decreasing critical evaluation of one’s household by 5% to a total of 32%.

The majority of respondents evaluate the access to education (71%) and health care (66%) as being very good. Other investigated areas such as job opportunities, social security for the elderly, standard of living for the handicapped, and mainly financial conditions to start a family or to get a flat are assessed in a very critical way. The respondents were unanimous in their views on life conditions of officials, civil servants and entrepreneurs which they considered to be the best (78% or more precisely 74%).

No major sociodemographic differences occurred in respect of CSSD supporters (22%), except a higher percentage of white-collar employees. The ODS (20%) is attractive primarily for respondents with good living standards and voters with university or full secondary education. The party also occupies a strong position among businessmen and tradesmen, white-collar employees, intellectual workers and among Prague inhabitants.

87% of respondents have consumed alcoholic drinks at some point within the last 12 months, one quarter admitted consuming alcoholic drinks at least twice a week. About a third of the respondents know somebody, who uses cannabis-based drugs, one quarter has been offered such a drug and 16% admitted trying it. Experience with ecstasy was confessed to by 4% of the citizens approached. A quarter of the respondents have met hard drug users, 12% were offered a hard drug and 2% tried it.

Governments of the CSSD and the Coalition (22%) or the ODS and the Coalition (20%) belong to the most acceptable post-election coalitions.