The number of the poor in Russia increased by 8 million for the three months – RBC

Photos by Anton Vergun / TASS

To end of the first quarter of 2016 in Russia, there were 22.7 million people with incomes below the subsistence minimum. Late last year, the poor were only 14.4 million

In the first quarter of 2016, every sixth respondent (15.7% of the total Russian population) lived below the poverty line, it follows from Rosstat materials.

According to official statistics, the total number of people with incomes below the subsistence minimum in Russia was 22.7 million people, which is 8.3 million more than it was at the end of 2015.

One of the reasons for the sharp increase in the number of the poor has been the increased subsistence level:.. in the first quarter of 2016 it amounts to 9776 rubles, while in the fourth quarter of 2015 amounted to 9452 rubles

The average size of nominal wages in Russia January-March 2016 was estimated by Rosstat at 34 thousand. rub. Thus, formally the average salary in Russia more than three times the subsistence level. The problem is that millions of Russians get paid much less.

«Today we have only in the public sector of people who work for minimum wage, 2.2 million people. We have a very large number of people earn less than a living wage, “-. Said today in an interview with Tass on the site of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Deputy Prime Minister of the Government Olga Golodets

Earlier, l, Rosstat reported that in April 2016 Russians experienced the strongest since May 2015 falling incomes – they fell by 7.1% in annual terms. In March 2016 the real incomes of Russians decreased by 1.8% year on year in February – by 4.5% in January – by 5.5%.