More than half of Russians have savings, according to a survey conducted by the Romir research holding in April. 57% of respondents admitted to having them. And just a year ago, in the spring of 2016, there were only 27% of them, sociologists note.

“The share of Russians with savings declined during the crisis years and reached its lowest level on record last year. It is possible that, having spent what they had accumulated, they are now seeking to replenish their reserves for a rainy day,” says Romira President Andrei Milekhin.

Cash rubles remain the most popular way to store savings among the population. This was reported by 79% of citizens with savings in the spring of 2017. The high commitment of Russians to the national currency has been recorded for several years now. Even in 2015-2016, when the share of savers fell by half due to the crisis compared to pre-crisis 2013, about 80% of citizens still kept their savings in rubles, sociologists remind.

But, according to Milekhin, although the ruble exchange rate is generally stable, the population still has fresh memories of devaluation, so several percent of Russians over the past year have completely switched to the currency, a little more have simply added it to their ruble savings.

According to the survey, the share of those who keep only part of their savings in rubles and part in foreign currency doubled over the year - to 14%, while those who adhere to exclusively foreign currency savings increased from 5 to 7%.

The crisis has somewhat changed the population's assessment of the best forms of storing savings. For example, if in 2013 the most popular way to store savings was cash rubles (37%), today only every fourth respondent thinks so (25%).

The most reliable ways to store savings, according to Russians, remain land and real estate (28% of respondents voted for them), as well as deposits in Russian banks (26%).

When answering the question “where would you prefer to invest your free money and savings?” It turned out that real estate remains the most popular way of investing among Russians (30%), but the share of such answers has been steadily decreasing - almost half since 2004.

Investing money in a business - your own or relatives, friends and acquaintances - also loses its attractiveness over the years. This year, every tenth respondent (10%) holds this opinion, as in 2010. In other years, the share of Russians wishing to invest in business ranged from 12 to 16%. Interest in stocks remains consistently low - this year at 4%, which is slightly less than in previous years. And only the desire of Russians to take money to the bank for deposit remains stable.

However, every tenth respondent (10%) answered that they prefer not to invest their free money anywhere, but to save it at home “for a rainy day.”

Most often, Russian citizens save money just in case, “in reserve” (58%), NAFI analysts found out in January of this year. According to their survey, 39% save for major purchases (car, vacation, treatment, real estate, repairs, education, etc.). Every fifth respondent (19%) is saving for old age. Another 18% save to earn interest income.

Russians started saving again