Poll: Most Czechs expect worse family finances this year

Prague, Jan 17 (CTK) - Most Czechs expect worse financial situation of their family this year, fearing higher living costs, and their opinions are not any better as regards the economic situation in the Czech Republic, according to the results of a poll Provident Financial made among clients.

Worse situation of the family budget is expected by 68 percent of people, while 7 percent hope for an improvement.

Czechs fear mostly a growth in current living costs and this fear grows with the age of the respondents (81 percent of people aged over 55).

Living costs are in general the biggest concern (68 percent), while 13 percent of people fear they may lose their job. People in Hungary share these concerns, while only 28 percent of Slovaks fear the financial situation of their family will get worse.

"We thought that fear of unemployment will be felt more with respect to the fact that unemployment in the euro zone is getting higher, but it is clear that a large majority of consumers is disconcerted the most about the high living costs," said Provident Financial spokesman in CR Ondrej Holoubek.

"With respect to the continuing difficult economic environment and high prices of commodities, we expect this fear to be strong for quite some time," he added.

As for the economic situation, 68 percent of Czechs think it will get worse in 2013, as do 67 percent of people in Poland, 66 percent of Slovaks and 61 percent of Hungarians.

According to the phone survey of Provident Financial, which provides short-term loans, 33 percent of clients fear prices will grow and 26 percent are concerned that incomes will fall.

As for the goods whose prices are seen as too high, Czechs named the most frequently food (52 percent) and medicines (20 percent).

Czechs want to save on food (28 percent) and leisure time activities (24 percent). They are unwilling to save on quality health care (52 percent).

Despite the concerns about their financial situation (13 percent) and about work (4 percent), Czechs are the most angry at their politicians (62 percent).