Over the year, the share of Russians with incomes below the poverty line decreased by 0.8 p.p.

In the first quarter of this year, the number of Russians with incomes below the poverty line amounted to 19.6 million people, which is 13.5% of the total population of the country, follows from Rosstat data. Compared to the same period last year, when there were 20.9 million such citizens, the indicator decreased by 0.8 percentage points.

The value of the poverty line per person is calculated by multiplying the baseline poverty lines by the consumer price index for the reporting period. In the first quarter of 2023, the indicator was fixed at the level of 14,026 rubles.

“Poverty reduction was influenced by the implementation of targeted social programs aimed at the most vulnerable groups of the population, as well as the growth of wages, pensions and other incomes,” said the representative of Rosstat.

In the first quarter, the total cash income of the population amounted to 17.4 trillion rubles, which is 8.7% more than in January-March 2022. Real cash income increased by 0.1%. The share of wages in their structure increased from 62.4% to 63.9% period on period. On average, a Russian is charged 66,778 rubles. wages are 10.7% higher than in the first quarter of 2022. Real wages increased by 1.9% over the year.

Since the beginning of the year, insurance pensions have been indexed by 4.8%, their average amount was 19,341 rubles. Quarter to quarter, the amount increased by 14.5% in nominal terms and by 5.4% in real terms.

In the first quarter of 2023, Russians received a total of 3.4 trillion rubles through social benefits. The total amount of benefits increased by 4.1% compared to the same period last year, and their share of benefits in the total structure of expenses amounted to 19.4%.

Social payments have a greater impact on the incomes of that part of the population who are at risk of falling below the poverty line, noted the author of the Solid Numbers Telegram channel, economist Elena Akhmedova. Benefits are likely to rise as we approach the 2024 elections, she predicts.

“14 thousand rubles (the poverty line) is not enough, but 19.6 million people or 13.5% of the population is a lot. If we look at well-being as the ability to provide for basic needs, then the level of well-being is growing, but for the growth of the quality of life in general, it is important that the population not only be above the poverty level, but also continue to move up,” she added.

Earlier, Vedomosti wrote that almost half (47.2%) of Russian families by the end of 2022 cannot cope with unexpected expenses, such as emergency treatment and unplanned repairs. This follows from the results of a comprehensive observation of the living conditions of the population, published by Rosstat. According to official statistics in 2022, 44.7% of households are unable to replace even the “simplest” furniture that has become unusable, almost a quarter of respondents (23.7%) cannot afford to buy two pairs of comfortable and seasonally appropriate shoes for every member of the family. Every sixth (16%) house does not have the funds to buy fruit at any time of the year, and once a year 44.5% of those surveyed by Rosstat are not able to leave for a week of vacation.

At the end of 2022, the number of citizens with incomes below the poverty line amounted to 15.3 million people (10.5% of the total population) – this is the lowest figure in the entire history of observations (conducted since 1992). But the situation with poverty differs from region to region, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said during an expanded meeting of the collegium of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection on May 19. The indicator varies from 4.5% in St. Petersburg to 30.5% in Ingushetia. The federal poverty line last year was 13,545 rubles, but the regions also have separate levels. The official added that Khakassia, Ingushetia, Adygeya, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kalmykia, North Ossetia, Komi, the Orenburg region and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug did not achieve poverty reduction targets. And in Ingushetia, Khakassia, Adygea and Tuva, its growth was recorded.