Fighting Poverty in Russia

Abstract

This paper examines the extent of poverty in Russia and analyses the government's policies to combat it. Russia's fight against poverty only targets the most extreme poverty, not the entire lower third of the population which sociologists consider "poor." Extreme poverty, which affects about every eighth Russian, has become the focus of political attention, as shown by Putin's promise to halve poverty in Russia by 2024. To achieve this goal, Russia needs a sustained high rate of economic growth.