Rent the capital: without Moscow and the North, the average income of Russians was 60 thousand

The average incomes of Russians were overestimated by a quarter due to the rich regions. Moscow and the North have "inflated" the figure to 75 thousand rubles per month, while without them it drops to 60 thousand, and only one in eight earns above the average, Izvestia found out. The reason is a sharp skew: in the capital and the raw—material regions they pay many times more than in the rest of the country. This distorts the picture when making budgetary and social decisions, underestimating the scale of income problems. How much Russians actually receive and spend and who should expect earnings growth in 2026 — in the Izvestia article.

What income do Russians have?

The average income of Russians in 2025 was about 75 thousand rubles per month, according to Rosstat data. The indicator includes salaries, earnings from self-employment, property, and social benefits. However, this figure is largely distorted due to the rich regions of Moscow (167 thousand per month), Chukotka (216 thousand), Yamalo—Nenets Autonomous Okrug (170 thousand), Magadan (144 thousand) and Sakhalin regions (117 thousand).

If we exclude the leading regions, the average income decreases by a quarter to 60 thousand, according to the National Association of Non-Governmental Pension Funds (NAPF), whose report was reviewed by Izvestia.

The distribution of income across the country remains extremely uneven. According to NAPF estimates, 78% of Russians receive less than 100,000 per month. At the same time, only 12% of citizens (about 9 million people) from this group earn above the national average of 75 thousand. Another 11% — from 60 thousand to 75 thousand, about 15% — from 45 thousand to 60 thousand, and the largest group — almost 40% (30 million people) — lives on up to 45 thousand rubles. About 22% of the population (17 million) have incomes above 100 thousand rubles.

The high differentiation is explained by both interregional and sectoral distortions, said Darina Medvednikova, a junior researcher at the Center for Spatial Analysis and Regional Diagnostics at the Presidential Academy. According to her, in the leading regions, incomes can exceed those of outsiders by more than five times. This is due to the high wages in the extractive industries, as well as the northern allowances and social benefits.

At the same time, the average values do not reflect the real situation of the majority of citizens. A more accurate picture is given by the median income, the level at which half of the population earns less and half more. In 2024, it was 47,000, which is 26% lower than the average of 63,000, Darina Medvednikova recalled, citing Rosstat data. Estimates for 2025 have not yet been published.

Analysis of the submitted data: the assessment of the income inequality index may change in Russia

Scientists consider actual incomes to be more indicative, that is, after taxes are deducted, the authorities are working on this idea.

A similar gap is observed between industries. According to the expert, the highest incomes are typical for a limited number of specialists, whereas work in mass professions — salesmen, cashiers, security guards, accountants — is traditionally paid much more modestly. This further "inflates" the average statistics.

It is necessary to assess the well-being of citizens taking into account not only income, but also expenses, said the financial adviser, founder of Rodin.Capital Alexey Rodin. According to Rosstat, the average consumer spending in 2025 amounted to about 52 thousand rubles per month.

The decline in incomes of a part of the population is also associated with the weakening of small and medium-sized businesses, said Maxim Gmyrya, founder of the Sequoia Group agency. According to him, the service sector — from catering to the beauty industry — is particularly sensitive to crises: due to the transition of citizens to a savings-based consumption model, companies' revenue is falling, which forces them to reduce staff costs or leave the market. This directly reduces the incomes of workers and the self-employed.

At the same time, official statistics do not fully take into account shadow employment, the expert added. According to him, gray incomes in some cases can be comparable or even higher than official ones, which partially smooths the gap between statistics and real incomes of the population.

Izvestia sent requests to Rosstat and the Ministry of Energy.

What is affected by the distortion of income statistics?

The average income indicator is very sensitive to extremes, said Olga Lebedinskaya, Associate Professor of Statistics at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics. According to her, even a small group of super-rich citizens can noticeably "pull up" the average, while this will not change the most common level of earnings.

That is why the median is considered a more accurate guideline for assessing well-being. Research by the World Bank shows that programs focused on this approach are 20-40% more effective in reducing poverty per unit of budget expenditures, Olga Lebedinskaya emphasized.

Income differentiation is influenced by several factors at once: the level of education, rare skills, the degree of responsibility and risk, as well as the region and industry of employment, the expert continued. In such circumstances, a policy focused only on average income turns out to be relevant for only 20% of the population. For the rest, it does not reflect reality, so the government has to build a "two—track" model: on the one hand, to support basic incomes through social protection and the minimum wage, on the other, to stimulate earnings growth above the median through investments in education and entrepreneurship.

To add income: the real average salary in the Russian Federation turned out to be a third lower than the official one

How much does the majority of Russians earn and why do these figures fall short of the published values?

The difference in income is already having an impact on the economy and the budget system, added Yaroslav Kabakov, Director of Strategy at Finam IC. According to him, this restrains consumer demand, increases market segmentation and increases the burden on the budget due to the need for targeted support. At the same time, focusing on averages can lead to errors in economic policy — the scale of vulnerable groups is underestimated.

In addition, the decline in business activity further slows down the turnover of funds in the economy, said Maxim Gmyrya from Sequoia Group. According to him, this has a negative impact on GDP, although it partially restrains inflation. If the trend continues, the burden on the budget will increase. There is already a shortage in the regions, which leads to a reduction in local programs while maintaining basic federal obligations. The total shortage of regional budgets last year amounted to 1.5 trillion, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on April 27.

At the same time, the average indicators hide the situation of less well-off subjects. Moscow and other rich regions have the resources to support the population, while subsidized territories are more vulnerable, Maxim Gmyrya emphasized. If this situation persists for more than a year, it may provoke a new wave of internal migration — residents will move to more affluent regions in search of stable and higher earnings.

What will happen to income in 2026

Further income growth will be targeted and will primarily affect deficient professions, Maxim Gmyrya believes. According to him, we are talking about blue-collar workers, skilled workers, technologists and specialists in the manufacturing sector, where there is a shortage of personnel.

In 2026, revenues as a whole will continue to increase, but the pace will be moderate and uneven, said Yaroslav Kabakov from Finam. According to him, against the background of a slowing economy and limited budget opportunities, incomes of well-off groups will grow faster, while stagnation or weak dynamics is possible for the majority of the population. The gap between the average level and the incomes of the majority of citizens will remain at the level of 20-40%.

At the same time, the increase will largely be driven by inflation, said Alexey Rodin from Rodin.Capital. However, its pace will be significantly lower than in 2025: on average, according to his estimates, real incomes will increase by 3-4% compared to 8% a year earlier. At the same time, the "wage race" will begin to slow down, especially in retail, catering and construction, he added.

The official forecast also assumes restrained dynamics. According to the Ministry of Economic Development, real incomes of the population in 2026 will grow by only 2.1%.