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Public Opinion Survey Residents of Georgia February 3-28, 2015

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Public Opinion Survey Residents of Georgia February 3-28, 2015 Public Opinion Survey Residents of Georgia February 3-28, 2015 International Republican Institute Detailed Methodology • The survey was conducted by the Public Opinion and Market research company Baltic Surveys/The Gallup Organization on behalf of the International Republican Institute. The field work was carried out by the Institute of Polling & Marketing. • Data was collected throughout Georgia February 3-28, 2015, through face-to-face interviews at respondents’ homes. • The sample consisted of 1,500 permanent residents of Georgia 18 and older who are eligible to vote. It is representative of the general population by age, gender, education, region and size of the settlement. • Multistage probability sampling method was used with the random route and next birthday respondent’s selection procedures. • Stage one: All districts of Georgia are grouped into 10 regions. All regions of Georgia were surveyed (with Tbilisi city as a separate region). • Stage two: Settlements were selected at random. The number of selected settlements in each region was proportional to the share of population living in a particular type of the settlement in each region. • Stage three: Primary sampling units were described. • The margin of error does not exceed plus or minus 2.5 percent. • Response rate was 70 percent. • Charts and graphs may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding. • The survey was funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. 2 Georgians are Less Optimistic International Republican Institute Generally speaking, do you think that things in Georgia are going in the right direction or wrong direction? Right direction Wrong direction Don't know/No answer 70% 65% 65% 63% 63% 59% 60% 58% 57% 57% 60% 56% 56% 55% 54% 55% 51% 48% 48% 48% 50% 47% 50% 43%43% 40% 38% 41% 42% 41% 41% 41% 33% 39% 32% 31% 31% 36% 29% 27% 30% 25% 24% 25% 24% 22% 25% 27% 26% 20% 22% 19% 19% 20% 16% 16% 16% 10% 14% 15% 12% 13% 13% 12% 10% 10% 10% 11% 11% 11% 11% 11% 6% 0% 4 Georgians Continue to Want Deeper Ties to the Democratic Community International Republican Institute Do you support Georgia joining the European Union (EU)? Fully support Somewhat support Somewhat oppose Strongly oppose Don't know/No answer Feb-15 62% 23% 4% 5% 6% Feb-14 70% 18% 3% 4% 5% 2% May-13 67% 20% 8% 2% Feb-13 67% 21% 3%2% 7% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 6 Do you support Georgia joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)? Fully support Somewhat support Somewhat oppose Strongly oppose Don't know/No answer Feb-15 57% 21% 6% 9% 7% Feb-14 58% 22% 5% 8% 7% May-13 61% 19% 5% 6% 8% Feb-13 63% 19% 6% 5% 7% Nov-12 65% 17% 4% 5% 9% Mar-12 59% 20% 4% 6% 11% Nov-11 61% 19% 5% 5% 10% May-11 55% 22% 6% 6% 11% Oct-10 55% 19% 5% 9% 12% Mar-10 50% 22% 6% 9% 13% Oct-09 54% 21% 6% 6% 13% Jun-09 45% 23% 9% 12% 10% Feb-09 49% 23% 7% 10% 11% Sep-08 70% 17% 4% 4% 6% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 7 What do you expect now that Georgia has signed the Association Agreement with the EU? Three answers allowed Economic development 26% Implementation of a visa-free regime 16% Increased security guarantee/Defense of the country 12% Higher quality of life 9% Transition to European standards 4% Restoring territorial integrity 4% Joining the EU 3% Increased employment opportunities 3% Political stability 2% Increasing pensions 2% Tense relations with Russia 1% Increased investment 1% Democracy 1% Decreasing prices for medicine 1% Other 1% None 9% Don't know/No answer 27% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 8 Georgians Concerned Over Territorial Integrity International Republican Institute Which of these countries do you consider to be the most important partners for and biggest threats to Georgia? 80% 76% 70% 60% Partners 50% Threats 39% 40% 36% 33% 31% 30% 19% 20% 18% 14% 15% 9% 10% 8% 8% 5% 4% 2% 2% 2% 2% 3% 1% 0% 0% 0% 10 How would you evaluate Georgia’s relationship with the following countries? Good Neither good nor bad Bad Don't know/No answer Azerbaijan 92% 4% 1% 2% EU 91% 5% 1% 3% United States 90% 5% 2%3% Turkey 89% 4% 4% 3% Ukraine 88% 5% 4% 3% Lithuania 82% 6% 2% 10% Armenia 80% 13% 3% 4% Poland 80% 7% 2% 11% France 77% 11% 2% 10% Germany 77% 11% 2% 10% Iran 53% 21% 6% 19% Russia 5% 9% 85% 1% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 11 Do you think that the Russian aggression towards Georgia is over or is it still ongoing? It is over and unlikely to resume It is over but likely to resume It is still ongoing Don't know/No answer Feb-15 6% 21% 67% 6% Feb-14 7% 16% 71% 6% May-13 20% 18% 49% 13% Feb-13 19% 26% 44% 11% Nov-12 23% 19% 47% 11% Mar-12 4% 10% 78% 8% Nov-11 7% 17% 65% 11% May-11 3% 12% 72% 13% Oct-10 7% 18% 69% 6% Mar-10 5% 14% 74% 7% Oct-09 2% 11% 82% 5% Jun-09 2% 11% 82% 6% Feb-09 2% 10% 84% 4% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 12 Would you support further dialogue with Russia? Fully support Somewhat support Somewhat oppose Strongly oppose Don't know/No answer Feb-15 65% 20% 4% 8% 3% Feb-14 76% 16% 3% 4% 2% May-13 82% 11% 2%3%2% 2% Feb-13 82% 13% 2% 1% 2% Nov-12 83% 11% 2% 2% Mar-12 74% 19% 2%3%2% Nov-11 73% 17% 2% 4% 4% May-11 78% 16% 2%2% 2% 1% Oct-10 84% 12% 1% 2% 2% Mar-10 78% 15% 2%3% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 13 How would you rate the current government’s handling of Georgia’s relationship with Russia? 15% 17% Very positively 8% Somewhat positively Somewhat negatively Very negatively Don't know/No answer 18% 42% 14 How secure do you feel living in Georgia given the current international situation? 4% 4% 21% Very secure 24% More secure than not More insecure than secure Very insecure Don't know/No answer 47% 15 Georgians Concerned with State of Economy International Republican Institute Over the last two months, how has the economic situation in Georgia changed? Improved a lot Improved somewhat Stayed the same Worsened somewhat Worsened a lot Don't know/No answer Feb-15 7% 29% 33% 29% 2% Feb-14 1% 15% 52% 22% 7% 3% May-13 1% 26% 53% 12% 3% 5% Feb-13 1% 26% 58% 10% 1% 4% Nov-12 1% 11% 78% 7% 1%2% Jul-12 2% 28% 47% 15% 5% 4% Mar-12 2% 26% 45% 17% 6% 4% Nov-11 2% 25% 42% 19% 8% 3% May-11 1% 19% 30% 32% 14% 3% Oct-10 1% 24% 27% 31% 13% 3% Mar-10 1% 20% 35% 27% 13% 3% Oct-09 2% 19% 34% 25% 15% 4% Jun-09 1% 6% 20% 37% 34% 2% Feb-09 1% 8% 19% 37% 34% 2% Sep-08 3% 12% 20% 39% 23% 4% Feb-08 4% 20% 28% 30% 16% 2% Sep-07 1% 17% 27% 32% 22% 1% Feb-07 3% 34% 27% 22% 10% 3% Apr-06 2% 30% 28% 25% 11% 3% Oct-05 3% 34% 32% 18% 7% 5% Jun-05 5% 44% 33% 10% 4% 4% Oct-04 4% 40% 38% 10% 3% 5% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 17 Over the last two months, how has the financial situation of your household changed? Improved a lot Improved somewhat Stayed the same Worsened somewhat Worsened a lot Don't know/No answer Feb-15 4% 45% 28% 22% 1% Feb-14 8% 64% 20% 7% 1% May-13 1% 11% 70% 13% 4% 1% Feb-13 10% 76% 11% 2% 1% Nov-12 6% 83% 8% 1%1% Jul-12 1% 9% 61% 21% 8% Mar-12 1% 9% 54% 23% 12% 1% Nov-11 1% 11% 53% 23% 11% 1% May-11 1% 9% 44% 29% 16% 1% Oct-10 1% 11% 42% 29% 16% 1% Mar-10 1% 9% 49% 24% 15% 2% Oct-09 1% 10% 48% 23% 16% 2% Jun-09 4% 38% 26% 31% 1% Feb-09 4% 33% 32% 30% 1% Sep-08 1% 6% 45% 28% 19% 1% Feb-08 1% 10% 48% 26% 15% 1% Sep-07 1% 7% 46% 26% 20% Feb-07 1% 14% 49% 21% 13% 1% Apr-06 1% 14% 49% 22% 14% 1% Oct-05 1% 15% 57% 18% 8% 1% Jun-05 2% 21% 58% 12% 6% 1% Oct-04 1% 16% 61% 14% 6% 1% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 18 What are the main problems Georgia is currently facing? Three answers allowed 45% Unemployment 65% 17% Economic development 37% 14% Territorial disputes 36% 3% Social problems 8% 2% Inflation 9% 2% Poverty 6% 2% Low pensions 5% 2% Relations with Russia 3% 2% Social unrest 3% Political instability 1% 3% First mention Incompetent government 1% 3% All mentions 1% High prices 4% 1% Poor foreign policy 2% 1% High prices for utilities 3% 1% Injustice 3% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 19 What are the most important issues that your household is currently facing? Three answers allowed Unemployment 39% 47% Economic development 12% 19% Low wages 7% 9% Poverty 6% 9% Healthcare 5% 10% High prices for utilities 3% 8% Low pensions 3% 5% Social problems 2% 4% Access to drinking water 1% 2% First mention Repaying bank loans 1% 3% All mentions High prices 1% 3% Poor living conditions 1% 2% Expensive medication 1% 5% Housing problems 1% 2% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 20 Thinking about the current situation and the future of your country, what issues do you fear the most for Georgia? Three answers allowed 38% Threat of war 43% 7% Weak economy 15% 7% Russian aggression 9% 5% Social unrest 6% 5% Territorial disputes 8% 4% Poverty 7% 3% Unemployment 4% 2% First mention Poor domestic policy 4% All mentions 2% Poor foreign policy 3% 1% Crime 2% 1% Inflation 3% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 21 What are the main problems facing the Georgian economy? Three answers allowed 81% Fall of Georgian Lari 50% 45% High taxes 48% 41% High cost of utilities 38% 26% Lack of qualified workers 25% 24% Suspended infrastructural projects 26% 23% Incompetence of the government 16% 8% Suspended road construction projects 13% Feb-15 1% High fuel prices 29% Feb-14 2% Other 4% 2% Don't know/No answer 3% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 22 Trust in Institutions International Republican Institute I am going to read you the names of some Georgian institutions and organizations.
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