The number of Russians living below the poverty line has risen by 4.2 million since the beginning of the year, reaching a total of 11.9 million people in the first quarter of 2025. This is a significant increase compared to the 7.7 million people reported to be below the poverty line in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to data published by Rosstat on June 18.

Rosstat data indicates that the basic poverty line for the entire population was 16,621 rubles in the first quarter of 2025, compared to 16,079 rubles in the fourth quarter of 2024. For the able-bodied population, the poverty line was set at 18,006 rubles in the first quarter of 2025, and 17,419 rubles in the previous quarter.

For children, the poverty line was determined to be 16,343 rubles in the first quarter of 2025, an increase from 15,811 rubles in the fourth quarter of 2024. The poverty line calculation method was approved by the Russian government in 2021, multiplying the subsistence minimum for the last quarter of the previous year by the consumer price index for the corresponding period.

It’s important to note that the “poverty line” serves primarily as a statistical indicator and may not fully reflect the actual economic circumstances of the population.