Poverty in Russia falls 2.4 pp in H1 2012
MOSCOW. Sept 21 (Interfax) - The level of poverty in Russia fell dramatically to 12.5% in the first half of 2012, from 14.9% a year previously, the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) said.
Rosstat said 17.7 million Russians were living below the poverty line, down 3.4 million from the same period of last year.
Rosstat estimates the subsistence threshold at 6,385 rubles per person per month in the second quarter of 2012, down from 6,505 rubles a year previously.
The 6,385 rubles in Q2 2012 includes the consumer basket of staple foods and essential services, which averaged at 5,927 rubles per person; and spending on taxes and other dues, which averaged at 458 rubles.
Per capita income in Q2 2012 was 21,948 rubles a month, or 343.7% the subsistence threshold, compared with 20,279 rubles and 311.7% in Q2 2011.
