Poverty on the threshold

The expenses of Russians, purified from inflation in April 2017, have been the lowest over the past five years. This is evidenced by the research conducted by the Romir holding.

The total daily expenses of Russians in April immediately reduced by 6.5 percent relative to March, and compared to April last year - by 4.9. At the same time, taking into account inflation for the month, the expenses of Russians were actually reduced by 6.8 percent, and in annual terms - by 9.

“We can say that the Russians returned to the saving regime,” the Romir notes. “The qualitative composition of the consumer basket in April has also changed. So, the share of product categories in the general consumer basket increased to 57 percent after 52 in March and 50 in February. Thus, we can talk about saving on non -food goods.”

Representatives of all profitable groups began to save, albeit with different intensity. The reduction in expenses was inversely proportional to the size of income. People with low income compared to April last year reduced consumption by 11.7 percent, with average - by 4.5, and with high - by only 2.5 percent.

In March, Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets said that Russia recorded a unique social poverty of the working population . According to Golodets, 4.9 million workers receive a salary at the minimum wage - 7.5 thousand rubles. At the same time, the cost of living for the able -bodied population according to the results of the third quarter of 2016 was determined at 10678 rubles.

“The poverty that is in the country is fixed is the poverty of the working population. This is a unique phenomenon in the social sphere - working poor,” said Golodets. “We do not have such a qualification that is worthy of such a salary - 7.5 thousand rubles even if a person has only graduated from an educational school, his work should be evaluated at a slightly different level we will have serious discussions to increase the minimum wage.”

According to Rosstat in January-September 2016, 20.3 million Russians, or 13.9 percent of the country's population, lived behind the poverty line. However, in mid -December, Golodets warned that there were much more poor in Russia. “We have a greatly diverging assessment of the poor statistical and an assessment of self -awareness of people. And if, according to the statistical assessment, poverty growth is and is 15 percent, which is already very bad for us, then self -awareness of people, it is much worse,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

In October, the head of the Ministry of Labor Maxim Topilin said that the restoration of Russians income to the pre -crisis level will occur no earlier than by the end of 2018 . According to him, we are talking about real indicators of salaries and pensions.