PHOTO: ALEXANDER PETROSYAN / KOMMERSANT

"The tragic disparity between what people have and what they consider normal"

Why do many Russians limit themselves in food, clothing and medication despite an officially low level of poverty? An explainer by IStories

In July 2021, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) published a report on global food security. According to this report, every tenth person in the world suffers from hunger.

In Russia, about 400 thousand residents are in a state of "extreme vulnerability", which means that they have to skip meals, limit the amount of food intake or not eat at all. Around 8.4 million Russians are in conditions of "moderate vulnerability". They do not have to starve, but they save on food and buy low-quality goods. According to these calculations, the number of Russians with nutrition issues exceeds the population of Moscow and nearby areas. However, our country is among the leaders in percentage values of food security.

What is the reason for such a contrast and how many Russians actually live below the poverty line?

Scroll down to find out the answers to these questions.

Editor: Alesya Marokhovskaya

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