How to live on 22 thousand rubles: experts evaluated the results of the study of the Central Bank

The median income per family member in Russia was an unpleasant surprise

The financial condition of Russian households, to put it mildly, leaves much to be desired. The median income per family member is only 22,000 rubles per month. These are not the sophistications of some enemies of our country, but data from the Bank of Russia “Finance of Russian Households in 2023”, published on the website of the Central Bank. It turns out that half of the population lives on meager means, and this despite the fact that the food package is constantly rising in price, and housing and communal services continue to grow in price.

According to the results of a study by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, in 2022, the ten households with the lowest income had a median of 8.5 thousand rubles, with the highest income – 57.6 thousand. The median income per family member in Russia in 2022 was 22,000 rubles per month.

Rosstat last year switched to calculating the median income, as this method more objectively reflects the level of well-being in the country. The average income is considered less indicative: the incomes of citizens with high salaries and top managers of corporations are added together, as well as the incomes of families where the salary is at the level of the minimum wage (minimum wage). It turns out that the average salary in the country is about 50 thousand rubles. Although 20 million people live on incomes of about 15 thousand rubles a month.

In turn, the median indicator is calculated as follows: the order of existing salaries is sorted in ascending order, from the lowest to the highest. The middle of this list is the median salary. Half of the people earn less than the median wage, and half earn more. That is, the median level does not allow, relatively speaking, to raise the average figure at the expense of one billionaire is still more preferable than the average number.

The median income per family member is reportedly calculated by the Central Bank for the first time, as of 2022. Therefore, it is difficult to compare this parameter with previous periods, compare it with changes in prices and incomes, TeleTrade analyst Vladimir Kovalev emphasizes.

“The methodology for calculating the median may turn out to be more informative and objective than determining the average value. The median income is the amount more and less than which an equal number of people receive. For example, if a society has a strong stratification by income, then the average value is not very indicative. Since a minority of people, for example, 10%, account for most of the income, conventionally, 70%, he says. – The median reflects the real section of society and in this case is indicative. Both options must be used.

“In general, the decision to move from calculating the average income to the median was the right one. Because in this way the government will more accurately understand the situation with the welfare of the majority of citizens. And, judging by the numbers, this picture is not the most satisfactory. It is hard to imagine how one can live on incomes of less than 10 or 20 thousand rubles a month, and even taking into account rising prices, increasing utility rates,” says Ivan Samoylenko, managing partner of the communications agency B&C Agency.

According to the expert, the level of income in the country will gradually change for the better – this is required by the economic situation, and the state needs growing consumption: which is why the growth of citizens’ incomes is needed, otherwise economic stagnation cannot be avoided.

Meanwhile, Andrey Popelnyukh, an expert from the Intercession company, believes that the amount of 22 thousand rubles for megacities is very small, but for residents of small towns and rural areas it is more or less sufficient for normal life. “Looking forward, the median income is unlikely to change dramatically this year,” he said.

The median income shows how small the amount of income has developed in the country, said Artem Deev, head of the analytical department at AMarkets. “Of course, this level, with high inflation of 12% last year, was completely insufficient. For this purpose, the median income was introduced in the calculations – this will allow the government to make more accurate decisions on how to promote the growth of wages in the country. Accordingly, the median income of people with minimum wages will also grow, which does not exceed 1 minimum wage (17 thousand rubles minus personal income tax, that is, 15 thousand per month in hand), ”concludes the MK interlocutor.

According to Vladimir Kovalev, in the future of the current year, we can expect an increase in the median income, as well as the average. This is primarily due to increased state payments to public sector workers, an increase in payments to military contract soldiers, mobilized, support for their families.