Russia has concealed data on the number of citizens living below the poverty line

Rosstat has stopped publishing the exact number of Russians whose incomes fall below the official poverty line. Currently, the agency only publishes the percentage of the population living below this line—in the first half of 2026, it stood at 7.5%.

Rosstat attributes the absence of this figure to legislation that allows the government to temporarily suspend the publication of certain statistical data. Against the backdrop of the war, Russia has also restricted access to a number of other indicators, including demographic and economic statistics.

At the same time, preliminary data can be used to roughly estimate the extent of poverty. In the fourth quarter of 2025, approximately 7 million Russians—or 4.8% of the population—had incomes below the official poverty line. Based on annual averages, this figure stood at 9.7 million people, or 6.7%.

The publication also notes that the official poverty line in Russia stood at 17,700 rubles per person per month in the first half of 2026. At the same time, a Levada Center survey showed that Russians themselves estimate the amount needed for a decent standard of living at an average of 43,800 rubles per month.

Against this backdrop, Russian authorities continue to claim that poverty is declining. In 2025, the official poverty rate stood at 6.7%, and the target set by Vladimir Putin’s decree calls for reducing the poverty rate to less than 7% by 2030.

Russia is seeing a trend toward staff reductions in various sectors, including IT, healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, retail, consulting, and other business services.

The Russian Ministry of Finance forecasts a sharp increase in regional budget deficits to $21 billion.