Human potential of Russia's sustainable development: is the transition to a new stage of modernization possible under the present living standards of population?

The article is devoted to analysis of people's assessment of their family living standards on the basis of the outcomes of sociological studies. It substantiates the conclusion that people's assessment of their well-being does not correspond to the outdated criteria used in our country, which are not practiced in market economies any more. It shows that development of population is the essential resource and purpose of a sustainable modernisation in Russia.