Average pension by regions of Russia in 2026: where the most and where the least
The average pension strongly depends on where a person lives. According to the latest regional data from Rosstat for 2025, in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug it was 38,658.6 rubles per month, and in Dagestan 17,351.6: a difference of 2.2 times. For Russia as a whole it was 23,424.8 rubles. Regional data for 2026 have not yet been published by Rosstat, and the nationwide figure for August 2026, 25,469 rubles, is discussed in a separate article. Below is a ranking of regions and federal districts, a comparison of the pension with the pensioner's subsistence minimum, and two examples with live figures. Each section has a chart, and the full table for all subjects is available on the website.
Average pension by region: ranking for 2025
Rosstat calculates the average amount of assigned pensions based on data from the Social Fund. The highest values in 2025 are in the northern and Far Eastern regions:
| Region | Average pension, rubles per month |
|---|---|
| Chukotka Autonomous Okrug | 38,658.6 |
| Nenets Autonomous Okrug | 35,708.5 |
| Kamchatka Krai | 34,506.7 |
| Magadan Oblast | 34,287.4 |
| Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug – Yugra | 34,101.1 |
| Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug | 33,416.2 |
| Murmansk Oblast | 31,519.8 |
| Sakhalin Oblast | 30,902.7 |
| Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) | 30,892.8 |
The lowest pensions are in the North Caucasus: Dagestan 17,351.6 rubles, Kabardino-Balkaria 17,771.1, Ingushetia 18,221.0. Next are Kalmykia (19,835.3) and North Ossetia (19,830.2).
Northern pensions are higher because of regional coefficients and northern allowances. Moscow, however, occupies an unexpectedly modest position: 24,935.6 rubles, only 6.4% above the Russian average. Moscow Oblast is even slightly ahead of the capital, 24,974.5. In St. Petersburg 25,470.0 rubles. The difference is that life in the capitals is noticeably more expensive, and the same pension amount buys less there than in Belgorod or Tatarstan. Comparison with the subsistence minimum below shows this.
The full table for all subjects with the real pension amount can be opened in the Rosstat dataset on the website.
Average pension by federal districts
If we look at a larger scale, the picture is as follows:
- Far Eastern district: 26,177.2 rubles;
- Northwestern: 26,012.7;
- Ural: 25,644.4;
- Central: 23,616.1;
- Siberian: 23,442.7;
- Volga: 22,644.9;
- Southern: 21,343.8;
- North Caucasus: 19,189.6.
The gap between the Far East and the North Caucasus is 36.4%. The Central district stays close to the nationwide average. The south of the country, attractive for retirement relocation, ranks seventh out of eight in terms of payment size. A likely reason is that there are no northern allowances in the south.
How the average pension changed across regions
Pensions increased everywhere, but not uniformly. In 2014 across Russia the average assigned pension was 10,029.7 rubles. Over eleven years it grew 2.3 times: in Moscow from 10,850.7 to 24,935.6 (2.3 times), in Dagestan from 7,793.5 to 17,351.6 (2.2 times), in Chukotka from 18,561.8 to 38,658.6 (2.1 times). Dagestan's lag behind Chukotka in multiples narrowed from 2.4 to 2.2 over these years, although the gap in rubles widened from 10,768 to 21,307. Comparing 2025 with 2024 gives the same result: across Russia plus 11.7%, in Moscow 11.9%, in Dagestan 12.0%, in Chukotka 13.6%.
In the table the 2017 and 2024 years are shown twice. For 2017 these are values with and without a one‑off payment, and the chart uses the value without the payment. For 2024 there are two calculation variants: the chart and the comparisons above use the second one, which Rosstat continues into 2025.
Growth in rubles does not yet mean growth in purchasing power. For this Rosstat calculates the real pension size, i.e., what remains after price growth is deducted. In 2025 nationwide it rose by 2.8%. The regional spread is large: in Chukotka by 8.3%, in Magadan Oblast by 5.0%, in Khabarovsk Krai by 4.9%, in Moscow by 4.5%. The worst were Sevastopol (0.4%) and four regions where the real pension increased by only 0.8%: Vologda Oblast, Kaliningrad Oblast, Chuvashia and Crimea. To find out how much inflation ate away from any date, you can use the inflation calculator.
Does the average pension cover the subsistence minimum: a comparison with the subsistence minimum
Money should be compared with expenses. The simplest way: divide the average pension by the subsistence minimum for a pensioner in the same region. In 2025 across Russia the subsistence minimum for a pensioner was 15,250 rubles, the average pension exceeded it by 1.54 times.
The difference by region is significant:
- Belgorod Oblast: 23,104.5 rubles with a minimum of 12,811, by 1.80 times;
- Tatarstan: 23,145.8 with 12,963, by 1.79 times;
- Saint Petersburg: 25,470.0 with 16,623, by 1.53 times;
- Moscow: 24,935.6 with 17,897, by 1.39 times;
- Kamchatka Krai: 34,506.7 with 26,841, by 1.29 times;
- Dagestan: 17,351.6 with 13,878, by 1.25 times;
- Zabaykalsky Krai: 21,990.8 with 17,843, by 1.23 times;
- Kabardino-Balkaria: 17,771.1 with 16,318, by 1.09 times.
The highest pension in rubles does not mean the biggest surplus. In Kamchatka the pension is second in the country after the northern districts, but the minimum there is 26,841 rubles, so the surplus is 1.29 times smaller than in Belgorod, where the pension is nevertheless 11,402 rubles lower than Kamchatka’s. The best living conditions for pensioners are where the pension is average but prices and the minimum are low: Belgorod Oblast, Tatarstan, Lipetsk Oblast (by 1.77 times), Udmurtia and Tomsk Oblast (by 1.72). The worst situation is in Kabardino-Balkaria: the average pension there exceeds the minimum by only 1,453 rubles.
Remember that this is about the average pension. The social pension and disability pension in any region are below the average. If a non‑working pensioner’s income is below the subsistence minimum of his region, he is entitled to a social supplement. The regional minimum is compared in the pensioner subsistence minimum rating, and details about the supplement are in the article "Pensioner’s subsistence minimum in 2026". The minimum in Moscow for 2026 can be seen on the region page.
Two examples: a pension couple in Magadan and in Dagestan
Take a family of two non‑working retirees with the region’s average pensions, figures for 2025.
In Magadan Oblast the couple receives 68,574.8 rubles per month (2 × 34,287.4). The subsistence minimum there is 26,535 rubles per retiree, i.e. 53,070 for both. The surplus is 15,505 rubles.
In Dagestan the couple receives 34,703.2 rubles (2 × 17,351.6). The minimum for both is 27,756 rubles. The surplus is 6,947 rubles.
In rubles the Magadan couple receives twice as much, and in percent the surplus over the minimum is almost the same for both: 29% and 25%. Money in the North is larger, but the minimum is also higher. Therefore comparing pensions of different regions "head‑on" is meaningless: it is fairer to look at the surplus over the regional minimum.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the highest pension in Russia?
In the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug: 38,658.6 rubles on average for 2025. Followed by the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (35,708.5), Kamchatka Krai (34,506.7) and Magadan Oblast (34,287.4).
Where is the lowest average pension?
In Dagestan, 17,351.6 rubles. Then Kabardino‑Balkaria (17,771.1) and Ingushetia (18,221.0).
What is the average pension in Moscow and St. Petersburg?
In Moscow 24,935.6 rubles, in St. Petersburg 25,470.0, in Moscow Oblast 24,974.5. All three figures are slightly above the Russian average pension, 23,424.8.
Are there regional data for 2026?
Not yet. Rosstat publishes the average amount of assigned pensions by subject once a year, the latest data are for 2025. The all‑Russia pension for 2026 is already known: 25,469 rubles in August.
Why are pensions higher in the North?
Because of regional coefficients and northern allowances that are taken into account when assigning pensions. But expenses are also higher there, so it is better to compare the pension with the regional subsistence minimum.
How much higher is the average pension than the subsistence minimum?
For Russia in 2025 it is 1.54 times: 23,424.8 rubles versus 15,250. By region it ranges from 1.09 times in Kabardino‑Balkaria to 1.80 times in Belgorod Oblast.
Briefly
- Average pension for 2025: from 17,351.6 rubles in Dagestan to 38,658.6 in Chukotka. Nationwide 23,424.8.
- Northern and Far Eastern regions are ahead because of regional coefficients, the North Caucasus is at the bottom. Moscow and St. Petersburg are only slightly above the national average.
- Between 2014 and 2025 pensions increased by 2.1-2.3 times in the selected regions, and by 11.7% over the last year across Russia.
- The buffer above the pensioner's subsistence minimum in Russia is 1.54 times, ranging by region from 1.09 to 1.80. It is largest where prices are low: in Belgorod and Tatarstan.
All figures are taken from Rosstat data published on roschart.ru: “Average and real amount of assigned pensions by region” and “Size of the subsistence minimum in regions and social groups”.