Average salary used for calculating alimony in 2026: how much per child
The latest published average salary in Russia for autumn 2026 by Rosstat: 114,742.7 rubles for June. It is this amount that is used to calculate alimony debt when the payer has not worked or has not shown how much they earn. For one child, a quarter applies, i.e. 28,685.68 rubles for each month of debt; for two children, a third (38,247.57); for three or more, half (57,371.35). Below we break down where this figure comes from, why it changes from month to month, and what the debt adds up to over six months and a year. All amounts can be verified on Rosstat’s interactive charts on the website.
When alimony is calculated from the average salary
Usually alimony for children is paid as a share of earnings: this is stated in article 81 of the Family Code. A quarter for one child, a third for two, half for three or more. While a person works officially, the payroll withholds this share from their salary, and the national average is of no interest to anyone.
The average salary appears when a debt has accumulated. Paragraph 4 of article 113 of the Family Code says: if during the period of debt the payer did not work or did not provide documents about their income, the debt is determined based on the average wage in the Russian Federation at the time of collection. Hence the query “average salary for alimony”: the recipient wants to understand how much is owed, and the payer estimates what the delay will cost.
The phrase “at the time of collection” is important. It is not the salary of the month when the payment was missed, but the one that is current when the debt is calculated. For a family, this means that the debt for 2024, calculated today, will be recalculated using today’s average, which has increased.
What the average salary is now
Rosstat publishes the average monthly accrued salary for the full set of organisations with a lag of about two to three months. At the beginning of October 2026 the latest available month is June. Here are all the months of this year:
| Month of 2026 | Average salary, rub. | Quarter per child, rub. |
|---|---|---|
| January | 103,611.6 | 25,903 |
| February | 103,900.3 | 25,975 |
| March | 112,654.0 | 28,164 |
| April | 109,052.0 | 27,263 |
| May | 110,216.2 | 27,554 |
| June | 114,742.7 | 28,686 |
The amount is accrued, before personal income tax deduction. This is the exact figure Rosstat publishes, with no tax adjustment when calculating the debt under this code norm.
Monthly salaries for the country and each region since 2022 can be viewed on the interactive chart. Hover over any month to see the exact number.
Why the figure jumps
The average salary does not rise steadily. Every December it jumps because of annual bonuses, and in January it falls back. In December 2025 the average was 139,727.1 rubles, and in January 2026 it was already 103,611.6. The difference is almost 36 thousand in one month.
This is noticeable for alimony. If the debt is calculated at the moment when the latest published figure was the December number, a quarter of it will be 34,931.78 rubles per month. A month later, when the January figure is released, the same quarter will be 25,902.90. Over a six‑month debt the difference exceeds 54 thousand rubles. Which exact publication the bailiff will use depends on the calculation date, so it makes sense to know which month is currently the latest.
Example calculation: one, two and three children
Take the June figure, 114,742.7 rubles, and calculate how the debt grows. Amounts are rounded to the ruble.
| Debt term | 1 child (1/4) | 2 children (1/3) | 3 and more (1/2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | 28,686 | 38,248 | 57,371 |
| 3 months | 86,057 | 114,743 | 172,114 |
| 6 months | 172,114 | 229,485 | 344,228 |
| 12 months | 344,228 | 458,971 | 688,456 |
A real‑world example. A father of two children quit his job in January and was unemployed for six months, not paying alimony. The bailiffs calculate the debt in October 2026. One third of the average salary for June is 38,247.57 rubles, which accumulates to 229,485 rubles over six months. If he had worked with an official salary of 60,000 rubles, one third of it would have been 20,000 rubles per month and 120,000 rubles for half a year. The lack of an income certificate would have cost almost twice as much.
The court may assign a different share than that in article 81, taking the parties' situation into account, and in an agreement the parents can agree on their own amount. Then the share in the table will be different, but the calculation from the average salary remains the same in principle.
Average salary for alimony by year
If a debt lasts several years, it is useful to understand how quickly the base grows. The annual average salary across the full set of organisations, according to Rosstat:
| Year | Average salary, rubles per month |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 43,724 |
| 2019 | 47,867 |
| 2020 | 51,344 |
| 2021 | 57,244 |
| 2022 | 65,338.3 |
| 2023 | 74,854 |
| 2024 | 89,069.3 |
| 2025 | 101,784 |
Over seven years the average increased by 2.3 times. A quarter of the 2018 annual average was about 10,931 rubles, and a quarter of the 2025 average is already 25,446. Since the debt is calculated based on the salary at the time of collection, old debt is recalculated using the new figures: delaying payment is unprofitable. Because of inflation, part of the growth is, of course, eaten away; the exact amount can be estimated in the inflation calculator.
Annual figures for the country and all regions are available on the dataset chart, and a summary with explanations is on the page "Average salary in Russia by year".
Comparison with the child subsistence minimum
A quarter of the average salary, 28,685.68 rubles, is more than one and a half times higher than the subsistence minimum for a child. In 2026 it is 18,371 rubles per month across Russia. For comparison, the per‑capita minimum is 18,939, for the working‑age population 20,644, and for pensioners 16,288 rubles.
The child subsistence minimum works in a different situation: alimony is tied to it, set as a fixed cash amount, and indexed accordingly. If a court orders, for example, one unit of the child minimum, then as the minimum rises, the payments also increase. Detailed information on this and regional minima is in the article "Child subsistence minimum in 2026", and all regions for this indicator are compiled in the rating.
Questions and Answers
What is the average salary used to calculate alimony in 2026?
The latest published at the beginning of October: 114,742.7 rubles for June 2026. When Rosstat releases July and the following months, they will become the basis.
How much alimony per child if the father is unemployed?
If the debt is calculated from the average salary, a quarter of 114,742.7 rubles, i.e. 28,685.68 rubles for each month of debt.
Do they use the average salary by region or for Russia?
For Russia. The Family Code states "the average wage in the Russian Federation". The regional average can be higher or noticeably lower: wages by subjects are compared in the regional rating.
Is personal income tax deducted from the average salary?
Rosstat publishes the gross salary, before tax deduction. The regulation on debt based on the average salary does not mention a tax deduction, so the examples above calculate from the full amount.
Why is the average salary so high if mine is lower?
High earnings in Moscow, the North, finance and oil‑gas pull the average up. The median better describes a typical worker; there is a separate article on the "Median Salary in Russia". But for alimony debt the code specifically requires the average.
Where to check the latest figure?
On the page of monthly salaries by region. When Rosstat releases a new table, it appears on the site after the next analysis, and the first row is always "Russian Federation".
In Short
- Alimony debt is calculated from the average salary for Russia if the payer did not work or did not confirm income (para. 4 art. 113 of the Family Code).
- Latest Rosstat figure: 114,742.7 rubles for June 2026.
- For a month of debt this is 28,686 rubles per child, 38,248 for two, 57,371 for three.
- In December the average spikes due to bonuses: 139,727.1 rubles in December 2025 versus 103,611.6 in January 2026.
- From 2018 to 2025 the annual average rose from 43,724 to 101,784 rubles, 2.3 times.
- The subsistence minimum for a child in 2026 is 18,371 rubles; a quarter of the average salary is one and a half times higher.