The Kremlin Is Trying To Hide The Real Level Of Poverty In Russia

• 19.02.2026, 9:43

Data on 115 indicators are classified.

Russian authorities have classified household income and expenditures, salaries of state employees (including teachers, doctors and researchers), amounts of social payments, etc.

Russia stopped updating 115 statistical indicators, including household income and expenditures, salaries of doctors and teachers, at the end of 2025.

The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine believes that the Kremlin is trying to hide the real level of poverty in the country.

According to the SVR, Russian authorities have removed or reduced 168 tables from statistical compilations, and the Unified Interdepartmental Information and Statistical System no longer has fresh data on 115 indicators. Instead of the new data, it is marked "temporarily closed".

In particular, household income and expenditures, salaries of public sector employees (including teachers, doctors, nurses, researchers, cultural workers), the size of social payments, etc. have been classified.

Now it is impossible to find out how much Russian households spend on food, housing and utilities services, medical drugs and other basic needs.

SVR noted that the Russian Federation no longer has any data on the "SWO" (as Russia calls the war against Ukraine - ed.) in open sources. For example, they hide the number of combatants and funeral payments. In addition, the Russian authorities have again begun to hide the number of prisoners.

It should be noted that against the background of the economic crisis, rising prices and small salaries, Russians are starting to save more and more on food. In 2025, 31% of Russians said they do not have enough money for food.

An additional 39% of Russians said the economic situation in their regions is worsening. The SVR believes that the Kremlin is deliberately trying to hide the real state of the Russian economy. Russian authorities want to minimize public reaction to the economic crisis.