We use cookies in order to improve the quality and usability of the HSE website. More information about the use of cookies is available here, and the regulations on processing personal data can be found here. By continuing to use the site, you hereby confirm that you have been informed of the use of cookies by the HSE website and agree with our rules for processing personal data. You may disable cookies in your browser settings.

  • A
  • A
  • A
  • ABC
  • ABC
  • ABC
  • А
  • А
  • А
  • А
  • А
Regular version of the site

45%

of all working poor Russians are either low-skilled or medium-skilled workers in blue-collar jobs. 

Another 20% of the poor are made up of low-skilled or medium-skilled white-collar employees. This type of poverty is called industrial.

Industrial poverty is prevalent in almost all developing countries due to an excess supply of low-skilled labour, which often entails low wages among the employed. This group experiences very little unemployment; rather, all the poor are employed, albeit at very low wages.

These data are presented in an article by Vasiliy Anikin, Associate Professor in HSE’s Faculty of Economics, and Professor Nataliya Tikhonova entitled ‘Poverty in Russia in Comparison to Other Countries.’

Hari the Robot Recommends

We created Hari the robot and named him after Hari Seldon, a character who can predict the future in the works of science fiction writer Isaac Asimov. He is based on a machine-learning model that selects news based on the behavioural metrics of HSE website users.

Don’t worry — we don’t collect any personal data for this.

International Partners' Week Starts at HSE University–St Petersburg

HSE University–St Petersburg has launched International Partners' Week, which brings together more than 100 representatives of leading global universities. The grand opening ceremony took place on May 20 in the new HSE building on Vasilievsky Island.

May 20

HSE University Signs Cooperation Agreements with Leading Chinese Universities

On May 8, 2025, in Moscow, in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, strategic agreements were signed between the HSE University and two of China's top institutions, Peking University and Tsinghua University. The event was attended by Nikita Anisimov, Rector of HSE University, Qiu Yong, Secretary of the CPC Tsinghua University Committee, and Gong Qihuang, President of Peking University. The signing unfolded during the official visit of the Chinese delegation to Russia, coinciding with the commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of Victory Day.

May 08

See also:

Who Feels Poor in Russia

The level of education, the size of the settlement, and the social status can all seriously affect the chance of feeling poor in Russia. These are the findings by experts of the HSE Institute for Social Policy, revealed as part of their regular Monitoring of the Social and Economic Situation and Well-being of the Population.

10,000 roubles

is the amount of one-time targeted payments to poor families in 13 Russian regions, which is ineffective when it comes to families becoming self-sufficient. 

24%

of Russians have not experienced poverty a single time over the past seven years.