A total of 3,000 residents in the country's eastern, central and western urban areas were asked about their views on the economic situation in 2002 and 2003.

Nearly 97 percent of the respondents expressed optimism about the country's economic prospects this year. About 59 percent of the respondents said they expect a better economic situation this year than last year and 38 percent said they expect no significant change.

Among the respondents, 85.7 percent approved of the nation's economic development in the past year, and 35.5 percent believed that the economic situation in their regions was better last year than the previous year, while 50.2 percent thought the situation had remained the same.

As to family income, 26.6 percent of the respondents said their family income had increased over the past year, compared with the previous year, while 21.8 percent said they earned less than the previous year. The remainder reported no significant change in earnings during the two years.

While 41.8 percent of the respondents expect their family incomes to rise this year, 12.7 percent predict a possible declinein family income.

As for how family income is used, 72 percent said that most is spent on consumption, 15.1 percent said that most of their income is invested and 12.9 percent said that most of their income is deposited in banks.

(People's Daily March 8, 2003)