More than 80% of the respondents of the Public Opinion Barometer said they are greatly and very much affected by the fluctuations on the currency market. Those who said that they are most affected are persons of the 30-44 age bracket, from rural areas, who are mainly women, IPN reports.

Asked how the fluctuations in exchange rates affect them exactly, almost 90% of those polled said they are affected through price rises. Over 11% of the respondents said they find it much harder to repay their debts, while 6% said they lost money when they exchanged lei for foreign currency at a too high rate. A lower number of respondents said they encounter difficulties in taking out loans, while others said their deposits in banks decreased in value.

At the end of last year and the start of this year, the Moldovan leu depreciated against the dollar and euro. This February, the exchange rates reached the highest level ever, an euro being sold for 30 lei, while a dollar for 24 lei.