August 31, 2025

A Bit of a Boost?


A Bit of a Boost?
Never enough... The Russian Life files

On August 29, Russian state media reported that the country's minimum wage will increase by 20% on January 1, 2026.

The directive to increase wages reportedly comes straight from President Vladimir Putin himself. Per the article, as many as 5 million Russians could be impacted by the raise.

In 2025, the minimum annual wage in Russia is R22,440 ($279.11) per month, or R269,280 ($3,349.21) per year. The increase would bring that up to about R27,000 ($335.80) per month, or R324,000 ($4,029) per year.

If that doesn't seem like much, that's because it isn't. While some staples in Russia are certainly less expensive than in the West, a yearly income of just over $4,000 is paltry, even accounting for a higher purchasing power. In addition, sanctions from Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine have contributed to inflation and international isolation that has strangled trade.

The Kremlin, however, assures readers that the increase outpaces inflation.

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