A Quarter of Russia's Population Cannot Afford Basic Necessities

The share of Russian citizens with incomes below the poverty line in the second quarter was 7%, according to Rosstat. Formally, President Vladimir Putin's directive to reduce this indicator has been met due to changes in the calculation methodology; however, the real standard of living has not improved. The official poverty line in the second quarter was set at 17,800 rubles (about 210 dollars): 19,300 rubles for working-age individuals, 14,700 rubles for pensioners, and 17,500 rubles for children. Experts indicate that it is impossible to survive on such amounts, and the established threshold corresponds to the level of extreme poverty. The decline in poverty indicators is linked to manipulations in methodology and the artificial lowering of criteria. Since 2021, the poverty line has been detached from the real consumer basket; under the old system, the percentage of the poor would be at least 11%. Surveys show that 25-30% of residents in Russia cannot meet basic needs: 6% lack money for food, while 20% have enough for food but cannot afford clothing. Analysts note a layer of people with incomes just above the subsistence minimum (up to 27,000 rubles, or about 320 dollars), which includes 18.2% of Russians who risk falling into poverty. Earlier reports indicated a decline in real incomes and wages of Russians due to the cooling economy.

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