Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova announced during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that from 2017 to 2022, 3.6 million Russians were lifted out of poverty after raising their incomes above the subsistence level. She also stated that the poverty rate in the fourth quarter of 2022 was 7.9%, which is lower than the 8.5% in the fourth quarter of 2021. Additionally, the share of Russians living below the poverty line in 2022 was 10.5%, 0.5% less than in 2021, making it the minimum figure in history.
Rosstat data shows that the average per capita nominal cash income increased by 12.4% in 2022 to RUB 45,272, and the real disposable money incomes of the population decreased by 1%. Furthermore, there was a redistribution of the population’s income from high-income groups to low-income ones as the money incomes of 10% of the poorest population grew by 41% in nominal terms in the fourth quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021.
Social support measures helped improve the poverty situation, and if unscheduled indexations occur in 2024, the minimum wage may exceed the subsistence minimum by 17.1% compared to the 3.7% difference this year. Real wages for the past five years increased by 22.1%. Putin stated during the meeting that the quality of economic policy is measured by the dynamics of citizens’ incomes, and he expects the additional increase in the minimum wage by 18.5% at the beginning of next year to contribute.
The President also noted that unemployment in Russia remains at a record low level; however, questions about the quality of jobs remain open, and some regions have suffered from production cuts. By the end of March, inflation is projected to fall below 4%, and it’s expected to continue slowing down, which may accelerate the real incomes of citizens.
From 2017 to 2022, 3.6 million Russians raised their incomes above the subsistence level and lifted them out of poverty. This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova during a meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with members of the government.
Golikova recalled that the poverty rate in the fourth quarter of 2022 amounted to 7.9% (in the fourth quarter of 2021 – 8.5%). In 2022, the share of Russians living below the poverty line was 10.5% (15.3 million people), which is 0.5% less than in 2021, follows from Rosstat data. This is the minimum figure in the entire history of observation. According to the approved plan, the target value for 2022 was 10.8%, and for 2023 – 10.1%, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.
According to Rosstat, average per capita nominal cash income increased by 12.4% in 2022, to RUB 45,272. At the same time, real disposable money incomes of the population (adjusted for inflation and minus mandatory payments) decreased by 1%.
In the structure of poverty for 2022, there is also a redistribution of the population’s income from high-income groups to low-income ones, Golikova said. “I would especially like to note the growth throughout the year of money incomes of 10% of the poorest population. Thanks to targeted support measures and bringing incomes to the subsistence level, the average per capita income of the poorest population increased by 41% in nominal terms in the fourth quarter of 2022 compared to the fourth quarter of 2021,” the Deputy Prime Minister added.
Earlier, Vedomosti wrote that, according to Rosstat, the incomes of the 10% of the poorest Russians in 2022 grew six times faster than the incomes of the 10% of the most wealthy. The average per capita cash income of the first group increased by 1.8% in real terms (adjusted for inflation) to 10,535 rubles, the last – by 0.3% to 165,695 rubles.
Golikova noted that the improvement in the situation with poverty is associated with social support measures. According to her, in 2024 the minimum wage may exceed the subsistence minimum by 17.1% after unscheduled indexations. This year the difference was 3.7%. “We expect that the development of the economy and its growth rates, as well as the creation of new jobs, will ensure the growth of the minimum wage, real wages, and incomes of the population, which are indicators of this priority,” the Deputy Prime Minister noted.
Real wages over the past five years, according to Golikova, increased by 22.1%. According to Rosstat, without taking into account the final data on small and medium-sized enterprises, the real average monthly accrued wages in 2022 compared to 2021 slightly decreased by 1%, the Deputy Prime Minister specified.
“The key indicator of economic development, the quality of our economic policy is the dynamics of citizens’ incomes. Ultimately, this is our goal – to make people live better,” Putin said during the meeting. Wages and real disposable incomes of the population as a whole across the country began to grow again in real terms, the president noted, adding that these are “still very modest numbers.”
“By the end of March, inflation will fall below 4%. According to some estimates, it will continue to slow down, which means that the real incomes of citizens should accelerate. I expect that an additional increase in the minimum wage by 18.5% at the beginning of next year will also make its contribution,” Putin stressed.
The President also noted that unemployment in Russia remains at a record low level, but “this does not mean that all problems in the labor market have already been resolved,” he stressed. According to him, questions about the quality of jobs remain open, and some regions have suffered from production cuts.
In conclusion, the progress made in reducing poverty and increasing incomes in Russia over the past few years is commendable. The measures taken by the government to support the most vulnerable sections of society have borne fruit, with millions of people lifted out of poverty. It is heartening to see the income gap between the rich and poor narrow, with the poorest sections of society experiencing significant income growth. However, there is still a long way to go in achieving greater economic development and improving the standard of living for all citizens. As President Putin noted, the quality of jobs, productivity, and economic growth must also be taken into consideration. With concerted efforts towards sustained growth and equitable distribution of wealth, Russia can continue on its path towards a more prosperous future.