With a big gap: the difference in the amount of pensions in the regions has exceeded two times

The difference in the amount of old-age pensions in the regions of Russia in the first half of 2025 exceeded twice, Izvestia found out. The gap between payments for both employed and unemployed elderly people has reached a record 22 thousand rubles. The highest pensions are in Chukotka (41.6 thousand), and the lowest — in Kabardino-Balkaria (19.4 thousand). The reasons may lie in income differences and regional allowances. At the same time, for example, food products in the north are 50-70% more expensive than the national average. Izvestia investigated whether the pension gap would continue to widen and which regions could be considered the richest today.

Where are the highest and lowest pensions in Russia

By the end of the first half of the year, the largest old—age payments were assigned to residents of Chukotka — 41.6 thousand rubles, and the lowest - in Kabardino-Balkaria (19.4 thousand). Thus, the difference was 22.2 thousand, follows from the most recent data from the Social Fund (SFR) for the first half of 2025 (Izvestia studied them).

The maximum regional pension turned out to be 2.2 times higher than the minimum. The average amount across the country is 25 thousand rubles.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Sergey Vinogradov

The gap between payments has peaked since 2021, when statistics began to be published. During this time, the difference between the maximum and minimum pensions has risen from 15.3 thousand to 22.2 thousand, that is, almost 1.5 times. Compared to the first half of 2024, the indicator increased by a record 16%. A year ago, the increase was twice as low.

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For all the time of statistics, Chukotka has always been the leader in terms of pensions, while Kabardino-Balkaria has lagged behind. The top of the highest payments also included the northern and Far Eastern regions — the Nenets, Yamalo-Nenets and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrugs, the Magadan Region and the Kamchatka Territory, according to SFR statistics. Anti-rating, along with Kabardino-Balkaria, was led by other southern republics — Dagestan, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kalmykia and Crimea.

Why are pensioners richer in the north?

The main reason for pension differentiation is the difference in salaries in the regions. Mining enterprises are located in the northern regions of the country, which assume harmful working conditions — workers are paid higher there, said Yulia Dolzhenkova, professor at the Department of Psychology and Human Capital Development at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation.

There is a relationship between the region's economy, the level of salaries in it and, accordingly, the level of pensions awarded — the higher the salaries in the region, the higher the pensions, the press service of the SFR told Izvestia.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Vitaly Ankov

According to the latest Rosstat data for June 2025, the highest average salary was recorded in Chukotka (220 thousand) and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District (183 thousand), and the lowest in Ingushetia (47 thousand) and Chechnya (about 52 thousand). In the CBD, this figure is almost 61 thousand. Thus, the difference between salaries in Chukotka and in Kabardino-Balkaria is 3.5 times.

The level of official employment also plays an important role. Working pensioners can earn more by accumulating insurance points and recalculations. However, the long absence of indexing for this category until 2025 has created a serious backlog, which is now difficult to compensate, said Yaroslav Kabakov, Director of Strategy at Finam IC.

— Indexation is needed to increase pensions due to the impact on its purchasing power in the context of inflation. At the same time, the amount of payments depends on such parameters as insurance experience and salary level. The higher the salary and the longer a citizen works before retiring, the higher the pension will be after termination of employment," explained Yulia Finogenova, Professor of the Department of State and Municipal Finance at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.

For those living in an unfavorable climate, there are additional payments to the fixed part of the pension, designed to compensate for work in harsh conditions, Yulia Dolzhenkova said. She added: this compensates for the cost of housing and communal services, which are an order of magnitude higher than the national ones.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Anna Selina

Accruals are increased by special district coefficients. Citizens can receive an increased pension if they have sufficient work experience.

— A pensioner who has worked for at least 15 years in the regions of the Far North or at least 20 years in equivalent areas is entitled to a supplement, but on condition that the total insurance experience is at least 25 years for men and 20 years for women. In this case, the amount of the fixed part of the payment is multiplied by a factor of 1.5 or 1.3," explained Yulia Dolzhenkova.

It is also necessary to take into account the differentiation within the average pension indicators. The statistics also take into account their various types, as well as payments and surcharges, which are inherently more social, the Social Fund added.

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Nevertheless, the difference in payments is increasing. Regions with high economic potential continue to increase salaries and investments, while less developed regions are stagnating, said Vladimir Chernov, analyst at Freedom Finance Global. As a result, this increases the gap in insurance premiums and pensions.

The gap in payments can create social inequality if pensioners are unable to cover their basic needs, the expert noted. For example, the cost of living in the CBD for this year is set at just over 16 thousand rubles, when the average pension is 19.4 thousand rubles. For comparison, the living wage in Chukotka is about 39.8 thousand, and the average pension is 41.6 thousand.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Eduard Kornienko

In the future, according to experts, the situation will worsen as more and more employees in the south become self-employed. This regime does not imply insurance contributions to the Social Fund, so people do not have seniority and the right to payments in old age. As a result, pensions for those who have been employed for a short time and then chose to work for themselves will be significantly lower than for northerners, who also rely on regional allowances.

At the same time, the cost of living in the regions of the Far North is significantly higher than the national average and especially in the North Caucasus. For example, the price of a consumer basket in Chukotka is 50-70% higher than the national average, and in the CBD it is about 10% lower. The pension gap is fully consistent with estimates of purchasing power parity.

Individual citizens prefer to move to cold regions for the sake of a secure old age, but this is not a widespread practice, said Yaroslav Kabakov from IC Finam. The attractiveness of the northern regions is limited by harsh climatic conditions and the high cost of goods and services. According to him, if the current dynamics continue, the gap between north and south is likely to continue to widen.