Poverty level in Russia by year: statistics since 1995 and charts
In 2025, the poverty level in Russia was 6.7%, or 9.7 million people. This is the lowest figure in Rosstat’s entire observation period: in 1995, 24.8% of the population lived below the poverty line, in 2000 — 29.0%, and in 2015 — 13.5%.
Below is the full year-by-year series, an explanation of exactly what Rosstat considers the poverty line and why the methodology was changed in 2021, as well as a regional breakdown where the gap between regions reaches eight times.
Poverty level in Russia by year: table
Share of the population with cash income below the subsistence minimum, and since 2021 below the poverty threshold, as a percentage of the total population.
| Year | Poverty | Year | Poverty | Year | Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 24.8% | 2006 | 15.2% | 2016 | 13.3% |
| 1996 | 22.1% | 2007 | 13.3% | 2017 | 13.0% |
| 1997 | 20.8% | 2008 | 13.4% | 2018 | 12.7% |
| 1998 | 23.4% | 2009 | 13.0% | 2019 | 12.4% |
| 1999 | 28.4% | 2010 | 12.5% | 2020 | 12.2% |
| 2000 | 29.0% | 2011 | 12.7% | 2021 | 11.1% |
| 2001 | 27.5% | 2012 | 10.8% | 2022 | 9.0% |
| 2002 | 24.6% | 2013 | 10.8% | 2023 | 8.3% |
| 2003 | 20.3% | 2014 | 11.3% | 2024 | 7.1% |
| 2004 | 17.6% | 2015 | 13.5% | 2025 | 6.7% |
| 2005 | 17.8% |
The full series with a breakdown by all regions is available on the interactive poverty level chart.
The series shows three major turning points. The first occurred in 1998–2000: after the default, poverty surged from 20.8% to 29.0%, meaning nearly a third of the country was below the poverty line. The second took place in 2014–2015, when devaluation pushed the indicator from 10.8% to 13.5%. The third began in 2021 and has been continuous: the rate fell from 11.1% by 4.4 percentage points over four years.
How many people live below the poverty line
A separate Rosstat series counts poverty in terms of people rather than percentages.
| Year | Million people | Year | Million people |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 15.6 | 2020 | 18.1 |
| 2014 | 16.3 | 2021 | 16.4 |
| 2015 | 19.8 | 2022 | 13.3 |
| 2016 | 19.6 | 2023 | 12.2 |
| 2017 | 19.2 | 2024 | 10.3 |
| 2018 | 18.8 | 2025 | 9.7 |
| 2019 | 18.4 |
Over ten years the number of poor people has halved: from 19.8 million in 2015 to 9.7 million in 2025. Absolute values are available on the population size chart.
The jump between 2013 and 2015 is explained not only by the crisis. From 2014 Crimea and Sevastopol were included in the statistics, and the subsistence minimum was recalculated using a new consumer basket.
How Rosstat defines poverty
Until 2021 a person with monetary income below the subsistence minimum was considered poor. The minimum was recalculated quarterly based on the cost of the consumer basket, so it rose along with the prices of specific products and could fluctuate from quarter to quarter.
Since 2021 a poverty line has been introduced. It was fixed at the level of the subsistence minimum for the fourth quarter of 2020 and is now indexed for inflation. The subsistence minimum itself remains but is calculated differently: as a share of median income, and is now used to determine benefit amounts rather than to measure poverty.
The practical difference is that the old method tied the poverty line to the price of the basket, while the new one ties it to general inflation. When food prices rise faster than average, the poverty line grows more slowly than the old threshold would have, and some people formally remain above it.
Another caveat concerns what is included in income. Wages, pensions, benefits, property income and entrepreneurial income are taken into account. In-kind consumption such as a harvest from a kitchen garden is not included in monetary income, but child benefits are, and it was the expansion of these benefits between 2021 and 2023 that explains a noticeable part of the decline in the indicator.
Poverty by Russian regions
The average of 6.7% is made up of very different regional values.
| Region | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Saint Petersburg | 3.2% |
| Republic of Tatarstan | 3.3% |
| Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug | 3.3% |
| Chukotka Autonomous Okrug | 3.3% |
| Moscow | 3.8% |
| Belgorod Oblast | 4.1% |
| ... | ... |
| Republic of Khakassia | 12.5% |
| Chechen Republic | 13.8% |
| Republic of Buryatia | 14.1% |
| Karachay-Cherkess Republic | 15.3% |
| Republic of Tyva | 18.6% |
| Republic of Ingushetia | 24.3% |
The gap between Saint Petersburg and Ingushetia is almost eightfold. At the same time, in 2025, Ingushetia is roughly where the whole of Russia was in 2002.
Note the Chukotka and Yamal regions: high northern wages push them to the top of the list, even though prices there are also above average. The poverty line is calculated by region, so northern allowances are partially offset by a more expensive basket.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the poverty level in Russia in 2025?
6.7% of the population, or 9.7 million people. This is the lowest level since monitoring began in 1995.
When was the poverty rate in Russia the highest?
In 2000: 29.0% of the population. The second highest was in 1999 with 28.4%. Both values refer to the period after the 1998 default.
How does the poverty line differ from the subsistence minimum?
Since 2021, the poverty line has been used to measure poverty and is indexed for inflation based on the fourth quarter of 2020. The subsistence minimum is now calculated as a share of median income and is used when assigning social benefits. Before 2021, these were the same value.
How much do you need to earn to not be considered poor?
The threshold depends on the region and family composition: income is divided among all household members, including children. A family of two working adults with incomes above the poverty line may still fall below the threshold if they have three children.
Why is poverty decreasing, but people’s perceptions are different?
The poverty line is absolute and tied to inflation, not to how others live. A person may rise above the threshold and still fall further behind the average level. The gap is clearly visible when compared with the growth of the average salary, which is increasing faster than the poverty line.
In brief
Poverty in Russia has decreased from 29.0% in 2000 to 6.7% in 2025, and the number of people below the poverty line has fallen from 19.8 million in 2015 to 9.7 million. Sharp reversals in the trend occurred in 1998–2000 and 2014–2015; sustainable decline began in 2021 and coincided with the expansion of child benefits and a change in methodology. The regional disparity remains eightfold: from 3.2% in Saint Petersburg to 24.3% in Ingushetia.
All series are taken from Rosstat’s open publications and are updated on the website as new data become available.
See also
- Average salary in Russia by year
- Inflation in Russia by year, used to index the poverty line