In 2024, **** million people in Russia lived below the poverty line, marking a considerable decrease compared to the previous year. The number of Russian residents that earned an income below the subsistence minimum was nearly ** million higher in 2000. What percentage of Russians live in poverty? Looking at annual figures, Russia’s poverty rate has declined since 2015, when it exceeded ** percent. Over ***** percent of the population of Russia lived below the national poverty line in 2024. Several other Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, such as Bulgaria, Romania, and Latvia, reported higher poverty rates. Subsistence minimum in Russia Starting from January 1, 2025, the monthly per capita subsistence minimum in Russia stood at ****** Russian rubles for the working-age population and at ****** Russian rubles on average. That figure includes the cost of essential goods, such as food products, clothing, and medicines, and services, such as utilities and transportation expenses. The subsistence minimum was lower than the average wage in Russia, which was set at ****** Russian rubles from January 1, 2025.

Russia: Poverty ratio, percent living on less than 1.90 USD a day: The latest value from 2021 is 0.2 percent, an increase from 0.1 percent in 2020. In comparison, the world average is 5.30 percent, based on data from 71 countries. Historically, the average for Russia from 2014 to 2021 is 0.23 percent. The minimum value, 0.1 percent, was reached in 2018 while the maximum of 0.3 percent was recorded in 2014.

In 2020, the poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Russia stood at 12.1 percent. Between 2000 and 2020, the figure dropped by 16.9 percentage points, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

Historical dataset showing Russia poverty rate by year from 1993 to 2021.

In 2024, over ***** percent of the resident population of Russia lived below the poverty line. The share of Russians earning less than the subsistence minimum has decreased since 2015.

Russia RU: Increase in Poverty Gap at $3.20: Poverty Line Due To Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: 2011 PPP: % of Poverty Line data was reported at 0.002 % in 2014. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.010 % for 2013. Russia RU: Increase in Poverty Gap at $3.20: Poverty Line Due To Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: 2011 PPP: % of Poverty Line data is updated yearly, averaging 0.024 % from Dec 1993 (Median) to 2014, with 14 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.092 % in 1999 and a record low of 0.002 % in 2014. Russia RU: Increase in Poverty Gap at $3.20: Poverty Line Due To Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: 2011 PPP: % of Poverty Line data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Russian Federation – Table RU.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Increase in poverty gap at $3.20 ($ 2011 PPP) poverty line due to out-of-pocket health care expenditure, as a percentage of the $3.20 poverty line. The poverty gap increase due to out-of-pocket health spending is one way to measure how much out-of-pocket health spending pushes people below or further below the poverty line (the difference in the poverty gap due to out-of-pocket health spending being included or excluded from the measure of household welfare). This difference corresponds to the total out-of-pocket health spending for households that are already below the poverty line, to the amount that exceeds the shortfall between the poverty line and total consumption for households that are impoverished by out-of-pocket health spending and to zero for households whose consumption is above the poverty line after accounting for out-of-pocket health spending.; ; World Health Organization and World Bank. 2019. Global Monitoring Report on Financial Protection in Health 2019.; Weighted average;

Poverty rate at $1.9 a day of Russian Federation rocketed by 100.00% from 0.10 % in 2020 to 0.20 % in 2021. Since the 50.00% drop in 2018, poverty rate at $1.9 a day remained constant by 0.00% in 2021. Population below $1.9 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $1.9 a day at 2005 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

Russia Proportion of Population Pushed Below the $2.15: Poverty Line by Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: 2017 PPP: % data was reported at 0.000 % in 2014. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.010 % for 2013. Russia Proportion of Population Pushed Below the $2.15: Poverty Line by Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: 2017 PPP: % data is updated yearly, averaging 0.020 % from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2014, with 13 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.100 % in 1999 and a record low of 0.000 % in 2014. Russia Proportion of Population Pushed Below the $2.15: Poverty Line by Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: 2017 PPP: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Russian Federation – Table RU.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. This indicator shows the fraction of a country’s population experiencing out-of-pocket health impoverishing expenditures, defined as expenditures without which the household they live in would have been above the $ 2.15 poverty line, but because of the expenditures is below the poverty line. Out-of-pocket health expenditure is defined as any spending incurred by a household when any member uses a health good or service to receive any type of care (preventive, curative, rehabilitative, long-term or palliative care); provided by any type of provider; for any type of disease, illness or health condition; in any type of setting (outpatient, inpatient, at home).;Global Health Observatory. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2023. (https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/financial-protection);Weighted average;This indicator is related to Sustainable Development Goal 3.8.2 [https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/].

After the start of the COVID-19 pandemic but before social payments made by the government, over 35 percent of the Russian population living in households with children up to three years old lived under the poverty line, according to the estimates made in the second quarter of 2020. Compared to the period prior to the crisis caused by the disease spread, that share increased by roughly 10 percent. As a result of the social support program, it decreased to nearly 30 percent.

Russia Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data was reported at 15.900 % in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 14.500 % for 2020. Russia Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 17.350 % from Dec 2014 (Median) to 2021, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18.800 % in 2015 and a record low of 14.500 % in 2020. Russia Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Russian Federation – Table RU.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. The poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Societal Poverty Line. The Societal Poverty Line is expressed in purchasing power adjusted 2017 U.S. dollars and defined as max($2.15, $1.15 + 0.5*Median). This means that when the national median is sufficiently low, the Societal Poverty line is equivalent to the extreme poverty line, $2.15. For countries with a sufficiently high national median, the Societal Poverty Line grows as countries’ median income grows.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.;;The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

Over nine percent of children in Russia were estimated to fall into poverty additionally due to the economic crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, based on the analysis from 2022. Russia had the most children among Eastern European and Central Asian countries. Furthermore, five percent of the Ukrainian child population was expected to experience poverty as a result of the economic shock. The economic decline caused by the war was also projected to increase adult poverty across the region, though to a lesser extent.

0.0 (%) in 2018. Poverty gap at $1.90 a day (2011 PPP) is the mean shortfall in income or consumption from the poverty line $1.90 a day (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall), expressed as a percentage of the poverty line. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

Russia Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: World Bank: % of total population data was reported at 5.000 % in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 4.600 % for 2019. Russia Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: World Bank: % of total population data is updated yearly, averaging 4.050 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2020, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5.000 % in 2020 and a record low of 0.300 % in 2010. Russia Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: World Bank: % of total population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Russian Federation – Table RU.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. The multidimensional poverty headcount ratio (World Bank) is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Multidimensional Poverty Measure. The Multidimensional Poverty Measure includes three dimensions – monetary poverty, education, and basic infrastructure services – to capture a more complete picture of poverty.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.;;The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

The poverty rate in Russia was expected to steadily decrease over the coming years, however coronavirus pandemic might affect this trend depending on the intensity of the crisis caused by thereof. In case of severe shock figures are projected to reach levels equivalent to that of 2019 only in 2022. However, if the shock will be moderate, the indicator is estimated to keep dropping without significant distortions.

0.0 (%) in 2018. Poverty headcount ratio at $1.90 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $1.90 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

Between 1987 and 1988, just three percent of the population in Central and Eastern Europe lived below the poverty level; between 1993 and 1995, this had increased to one quarter of the population. This drastic shift came as a result of communism's end in Europe, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In Russia alone, just two percent of the population lived in poverty in 1989, but this rose to 23.8 percent in 1998.

Russia RU: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $6.85 a Day: 2017 PPP: % of Population data was reported at 2.000 % in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.700 % for 2020. Russia RU: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $6.85 a Day: 2017 PPP: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 2.800 % from Dec 2014 (Median) to 2021, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.500 % in 2016 and a record low of 1.700 % in 2020. Russia RU: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $6.85 a Day: 2017 PPP: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Russian Federation – Table RU.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. Poverty headcount ratio at $6.85 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $6.85 a day at 2017 international prices.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.;;The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

0.4 (%) in 2018. Poverty headcount ratio at $3.20 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $3.20 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

Poverty gap at $5.5 a day of Russian Federation slumped by 12.50% from 0.8 % in 2017 to 0.7 % in 2018. Since the 14.29% surge in 2015, poverty gap at $5.5 a day dropped by 12.50% in 2018. Poverty gap at $5.50 a day (2011 PPP) is the mean shortfall in income or consumption from the poverty line $5.50 a day (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall), expressed as a percentage of the poverty line. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence.

Poverty gap at $3.2 a day of Russian Federation remained constant at 0.1 % over the last 7 years. Poverty gap at $3.20 a day (2011 PPP) is the mean shortfall in income or consumption from the poverty line $3.20 a day (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall), expressed as a percentage of the poverty line. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence.