Rising poverty reveals growing economic divide in Russia
Over half a million Russian families with multiple children live below the poverty line. Rosstat statistics indicate that 20 percent of such families struggle with financial difficulties. This problem is significantly larger than the national average, as highlighted by experts.
By the end of 2024, 20 percent of Russian families with multiple children lived below the poverty line, according to Rosstat data.
There are 2.65 million families in the country with three or more children, which means over half a million of them are struggling with financial difficulties.
This problem is three times larger than the national average, where 7.2 percent of the population lives in poverty.
The country has 100 billionaires, yet over one-third of Russians cannot afford to buy two pairs of shoes a year, as assessed by Bloomberg.
Demographer Igor Yefremov points out the inadequacy of Rosstat's methodology compared to Western standards.
Russians believe that the actual subsistence minimum is 38,700 rubles (approximately €421) per month, while Rosstat estimates it at 17,700 rubles (about £193). According to a Levada Center survey, 22.8 percent of the population lives with incomes up to 27,000 rubles (about €294) per month.
Unfulfilled promises
President Putin has repeatedly promised to reduce poverty, yet his goals have not been achieved. In 2024, the poverty level exceeded assumptions, and Russia remains a country with large income disparities.
According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, 1 percent of the wealthiest Russians owned one quarter of the national income in 2019.
