Mission: Lifting Large Russian Families Out of Poverty
Increase in Number of Impoverished Households: According to Rosstat, the proportion of economically disadvantaged families has nearly doubled over a five-year period.
It's a promising picture! A dramatic reduction in poverty among large Russian families has been observed, with the figure slashing nearly in half since 2020. In 2023, the percentage plummeted to 21.5%, diving from 29.4% in 2022. Demographer Igor Efremov, speaking to RIA Novosti, attributes this positive shift to the debut of a single child allowance in 2023, claiming it "substantially reduced poverty among families with children."
Professor Alexander Safonov of the Financial University under the government agrees that this single allowance has had a beneficial impact on reducing impoverishment in large families. Yet, he cautions that the allowance's potential has yet to unravel in full. He keenly points out that a poverty rate of 20% among large families remains "unacceptably high," but he considers it "reachable" to achieve the national objective of 12% by 2030 if the progress in lowering poverty among large families continues.
As per data from the Ministry of Labor, there were a staggering 2.65 million large families in Russia as of January 2025 – a rise from 2.4 million the previous year. This surge in family numbers coincides with the implementation of the national project "Family" in Russia, launched to preserve the Russian nation and support families. A hefty sum of 17 trillion rubles will be allocated for this project by 2030. Through this initiative, more than 9.6 million Russians will benefit from an annual single allowance for families with children over the following six years, as reported by Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova. In March 2025, the government ratified the strategy for implementing family and demographic policy and supporting large families in Russia until 2036.
In the telegram channel @expert_mag, you can discover more updates on this topic. Symbols #Rosstat, #Family, and #Poverty tag its relevant posts. Stay tuned for the latest changes in these significant familial trends!
The single child allowance, introduced in 2023, is believed to have significantly contributed to the reduction of poverty among families with children in Russia, according to demographer Igor Efremov. However, Professor Alexander Safonov from the Financial University under the government suggests that the allowance's full potential in reducing impoverishment among large families remains untapped, with a poverty rate of 20% still unacceptably high.
