Specialists of the Department of Sociology at the Financial University Russian Federation Every year they conduct a large-scale study on the assessment by citizens of the cities of the country of their material well-being. The poorest city in Russia, according to experts, is Togliatti. Cities with a population exceeding 500 thousand people took part in the studies. Residents of the country had to independently assess their level of well-being on a 5-point scale. Under the number one is hidden the situation when the citizens of the state hardly earn their own food. The number five indicates the possibility of buying property. Based on these indicators, it was possible to calculate the poverty index for each settlement.
10 most low-income cities in Russia
According to the Department of Sociology, the list of the poorest cities in Russia includes the following settlements:
- Tolyatti with a poverty index of 0.8.
- Astrakhan with an indicator of 0.68.
- Penza with an indicator of 0.6.
- Volgograd with an indicator of 0.59.
- Saratov with an indicator of 0.55.
- Rostov-on-Don with an indicator of 0.53.
- Lipetsk with an indicator of 0.52.
- Barnaul with an indicator of 0.5.
- Naberezhnye Chelny with an indicator of 0.5.
- Voronezh - an indicator of 0.49.
In contrast to the poorest settlements of the country, the smallest poverty index was recorded in Vladivostok and Moscow, and in Kazan. The assessment of the situation was not based on statistical official data, it was built solely on own opinion residents of each individual community.
General characteristics of poverty by city
The proportion of critically poor young men recorded in the territory of Saratov was 5%. This indicator for cities averages 4%. To assess the situation, young people from 18 to 30 years old were considered. In the same locality a large number of low-income men - about 36%, while the national average is 35%. The settlement was also marked by the poorest youth, whose share is at least 5%, while the national indicator is 4%. Low-income youth is 42%, while the national average does not exceed 38%. The proportion of critically poor residents is 14% with an average of 11%, and low-income residents - 53% with an average of 51%. The total poverty index of this locality is 0.55, and it ranks 5th in the ranking. Despite the record figures, the poorest city in Russia is Togliatti. The study provided information that the peak of poverty, which covered both the northern cities of Russia and the southern ones, occurred at the end of 2011. It was during that period that more than 18% of the country's inhabitants did not have money for food. By mid-2012, the population that identified themselves as poor had dropped to 9-11%.
The reverse side of the coin or the most affluent cities
Russia's millionaire cities are the other side of poverty. According to the Department of Sociology and based on the poverty index, the wealthiest residents of the country live in the following settlements:
- In Vladivostok - with a poverty index of 0.08.
- In Moscow - 0.08.
- In Yekaterinburg - 0.14.
- In Kazan - 0.2.
- In Tyumen - 0.23.
- In Krasnodar - 0.25.
- In St. Petersburg - 0.26.
- In Orenburg - 0.27.
- In Irkutsk - 0.27.
- In Novosibirsk - 0.28.
35 cities took part in the research. Interviewees in the most prosperous cities of the country practically did not consider the situation of lack of funds for food and basic necessities. Most of the respondents confidently referred themselves to either the fourth or fifth category of prosperity, where there is an opportunity to purchase personal vehicles and real estate.
General summary of information
Togliatti is the poorest city in Russia. About 57% of the inhabitants of the settlement are low-income. Second place went to Saratov, which is home to 56% of low-income people. The top three in this category is closed by Penza, whose population is 53% low-income. On the back of the scales - and Yekaterinburg. According to a survey, only 2% of critically poor men and critically poor youth live in the Northern capital. The share of poor people accounts for only 10%. The category of low-income men here is 32%, and low-income youth - only 33%. In total, the share of low-income residents accounts for no more than 48%. Here we can add that over the past 10 years, from the period of 2003 to 2014, the number of critically poor people in the country has decreased from 37% to 10%. At the same time, there has been a tendency for the low-income population to grow over the past few years - from 46% to 54%.
A little about Tolyatti
The top of the poorest cities in Russia is headed by Togliatti, a settlement in whose territory about 700 thousand people live. According to preliminary data, 13% of residents are recorded here who have certain difficulties with buying food. The share of low-income people in the settlement reaches 57%. It is worth mentioning the 45% of young people who fall into this category. The cities of Astrakhan and Penza with a population of 530 and 520 thousand people became brothers in misfortune of Togliatti. The share of the poor is 56% and 53%. The statistics surprised the experts, since it is Togliatti that is usually called the "capital of the domestic auto industry." which now adorns the poorest city in Russia - it is the flagship of the automotive industry, AvtoVAZ OJSC. Information about whether the mass layoffs of 2014 had an impact on the situation and statistics does not appear anywhere and is not distributed. Only the risk of social unrest, which can cover the cities of the south of Russia and the north, has been recorded.
What does the government say?
On December 16, 2014, O. Golodets, who holds the post of vice president, stated that 15.7 million poor people were recorded in Russia. In conditions of inflation, their number will systematically increase. The names of Russian cities that will fall into the category of the poor, in the future, will increasingly appear in the media. According to the purchasing power of the citizens of the country in the near future will be significantly reduced. This trend will cover the cities of both the north and south of Russia. Rosstat provided a very interesting information that in just the first 12 days of January 2015, the inflation rate in the country reached 0.8%. If we talk about this value at the end of last year, it corresponded to only 0.3%. According to forecasts, by the end of spring, the growth rate should reach a value of 15-17%. As for inflation, by the end of 2015 its value is expected at the level of 13.7%.
Methodology for assessing poverty in Russia
The list of the poorest cities in Russia was compiled for a reason, but on the basis of a large-scale study. The indicator was studied not on the basis of statistical data and not even on the availability of access to benefits. The poorest city in Russia was determined on the basis of a self-assessment of the level of well-being, which was made by the population itself. In the process of sociological research, the Russians were asked to answer the question about their own income, namely, what category it fits into. There were five items to choose from:
- There is hardly enough money for food.
- Funds are only enough for food and basic necessities.
- There are enough funds to buy large household appliances, such as a refrigerator, a washing machine.
- It is possible to buy a new car.
- Funds are sufficient for all needs, including the purchase of real estate.
Combining categories into groups
The following approach allowed us to conclude that Tolyatti is the poorest city in Russia. According to the presented classification, the first group of people is the critically poor population. The first and second groups together form a layer of the low-income population of Russia. The issue of poverty is very relevant and plays a major social and political role. This is due to the emergence of social unrest with a significant decrease in Russians. Similar tendencies do not cover the million-plus cities of Russia.
What formed the basis for calculating the poverty index?
The poverty index, which made it possible to determine the names of Russian cities where the country's poorest population lives, was calculated based on the fact that the basis of the state labor force is not low-income citizens as such, but unemployed youth. The study focused on the proportion of low-income and critically poor men and young people aged 18 to 30 years. In order to determine which southern and northern cities of Russia are the most disadvantaged, it was decided to use only six classes:
- Percentage of critically poor young men aged 18 to 30.
- Percentage of low-income young men aged 18 to 30.
- Percentage of critically poor young people aged 18 to 30, both men and women.
- Percentage of low-income youth aged 18 to 30, both men and women.
- The volume of critically poor residents of the city.
- The volume of low-income residents of the city.
Each indicator was converted into a special index. The final poverty index, which became the basis for the formation of the rating, is the arithmetic average of all the indicators listed above. The higher the index value, the worse the situation within a certain locality. The ongoing studies have only confirmed the fact that in Russia today there is a fairly large percentage of people who are accustomed to referring themselves to the lowest wealthy property groups.
Despite the general trend towards the recovery of the Russian economy, there are cities that are this moment difficult to call safe. High unemployment, low incomes of the population, as a result of a high crime rate. In the article we will consider the 10 poorest cities in Russia.
10.
The placement of the city of Voronezh in the top line of the rating is due to the liquidation of the industrial sector of the economy, which ultimately affected the increasing pace of social stratification. The situation is worsened by the circumstance that the increase in profits does not affect even a partial increase in income. The poorest category of citizens according to statistics are pensioners.
9.
High unemployment and a lack of decent-paying jobs make Naberezhnye Chelny a city with a lot to work on. The low-income segments of the population officially include pensioners and military personnel.
8.
Barnaul is characterized by a significant gap between wealthy and poor citizens. Only 60% of residents have incomes that allow them to buy the most necessary products. Only 10% of the city's population can openly admit that their income level will allow them to buy a car.
7.
Getting into the rating of Lipetsk is due to the deplorable state of affairs in the public utilities. Maintaining the buildings and transport that are on the balance sheet of the city in an optimal condition needs sufficient funding, along with health and social spheres Oh. According to statistics, 16% of the urban population are recognized as poor.
6.
Such a huge city by Russian standards as Rostov-on-Don cannot boast of its wealth, since more than half of the inhabitants consider themselves to be poor, the main part of which is such a disabled category of citizens as pensioners.
5.
Saratov's inclusion in this anti-rating is due to the unfavorable environmental situation and the lack of timely medical support in the healthcare sector. Outside the city limits, unauthorized waste disposal sites pollute the surrounding area. The high mortality rate also negatively affects the successful development of the city. In addition, the population needs sufficient food. Every fifth city dweller considers himself to be a low-income category of citizens, and 64% are poor.
4.
Volgograd, while maintaining a tourist attraction and having industrial buildings, provides citizens with a meager level of income. The reason for the problem lies in the financial well-being of urban youth, which makes up almost half of the total number of low-income people.
3.
Despite the industrial specialization of the city, the problem of unemployment has been eliminated, but there are no jobs with decent earnings. The low level of wages will be dissolved in the form of spending on food products, vital housing and communal services and payment of debts and loans.
2.
Being a major economic center on the Volga, it needs funding for transport logistics and utilities. Approximately 11% of the townspeople experience difficulties with a decent income, and more than half of the townspeople cannot afford to shell out for their own plans.
1.
Strange is the fact that the industrial center of mechanical engineering - Togliatti led the anti-rating. Of the 700,000 urban population, 13% are poor. The reason lies in the lack of full implementation industrial development. Own production, even in the domestic market, is crowded with high-quality Chinese products.
If we conduct general statistics of federal news, about new successes in production or ongoing events in cities, then we will meet these cities much less frequently than others.
Reading time: 7 min.
Every year, specialists from the Department of Sociology at the Financial University of the Russian Federation conduct a comparative study of the material well-being of residents of different cities of the country. The final poverty index was based on the arithmetic mean difference between the financial ability to purchase essential goods and the acquisition of real estate in a given locality. According to the results of this study, the "Big Rating" presents the poorest cities in Russia for 2018.
poverty index – 0,49
Voronezh opens our rating - outwardly quite a prosperous city with a million inhabitants. The reason for getting into the ranking of the poorest cities was the policy of avoiding industrialization. The decline in production in the engineering, metalworking and electronics industries led to the liquidation of a large number of enterprises, unemployment, lower wages and social stratification. Such trends have a negative impact primarily on pensioners, who make up 81% of the total mass of poor residents of Voronezh.
poverty index – 0,5
Despite the decent level of development of the machine-building industry, the construction industry, the electric power industry, the food and processing industry, the main problem of the city of Naberezhnye Chelny is the high level of unemployment. The overall picture of poverty is aggravated by an acute shortage of jobs with high wages, social vulnerability of people of retirement age and military personnel.
poverty index – 0,5
Industrial, medical, cultural and The educational center Altai Territory- the city of Barnaul - can boast of developed branches of engineering, food industry and production of building materials. But Barnaul does not have to be proud of the standard of living of its citizens, since more than 60% of the population belongs to the category of the poor. Only 10% of city residents have income sufficient to purchase real estate.
poverty index – 0,52
The reason Lipetsk got into our rating of the poorest cities in Russia was not only the fact that 16% of its population is below the extreme poverty line, but also many other negative factors. These include the insufficient level of development of the communal and social spheres, as well as the healthcare system.
poverty index – 0,53
Despite the status of an administrative center with a high level of development of all industries, Rostov-on-Don in last years managed to significantly “slide” in the ratings for the quality of life of its citizens. Although there are enterprises supplying various equipment to all regions of the country, more than 50% of the inhabitants of Rostov-on-Don are classified as poor, and the unemployment rate and the average wage are very disappointing. The situation is no better for the elderly. Complementing such an unattractive social picture are problems in the housing and communal services sector and the poor condition of roads.
poverty index – 0,55
In fifth place in our ranking of the poorest cities in Russia is Saratov, whose population suffers from a number of problems. These include: poor ecology and garbage dumps around the city, lack of high-level medical facilities, low-quality and cheap food. If we add to this the fact that more than 65% of Saratov residents are considered poor, and about 20% live below the poverty line, then in aggregate we get a low quality of life and a high mortality rate.
poverty index – 0,59
The glorious city of Volgograd is an attractive tourist center and has a number of fairly profitable large enterprises. But, despite such obvious financial advantages, it cannot provide its residents with a decent level of income. Young people are considered to be the least protected category of the population of Volgograd, more than 40% of whom belong to the category of low-income people, and about 2% of their representatives live below the poverty line. The city authorities have already begun to implement a number of social programs to improve the situation, but it is too early to talk about significant success.
poverty index – 0,6
Penza opens our top three in the rating of the poorest cities in Russia. Despite the large number of various enterprises and, accordingly, good employment, the inhabitants of the city are not spoiled by high salaries in Penza. The income level of the average city dweller is barely enough to buy food and pay utility bills. As a result, about 50% of Penza residents are classified as low-income and are forced to look for additional sources of income.
poverty index – 0,68
Located in the Volga Delta, the city of Astrakhan is the cultural and economic center of the region. Despite the external gloss and the abundance of expensive hotels, chic restaurants and modern office centers, Astrakhan is the owner of a number of social problems. Thus, the uneven development of the city's infrastructure caused the decline of such sectors of the city budget as the utilities and transport sectors. More than half of the inhabitants of Astrakhan are significantly constrained in terms of money, and 11% of the townspeople live below the poverty line.
poverty index – 0,8
According to sociologists, Togliatti has become the poorest city in Russia, where the number of poor residents was about 58%. total number population. Of the 13% of city dwellers living below the poverty line, the majority are men of working age. The statistics are very sad, because Togliatti has always been for the Russians "the capital of the domestic auto industry." The reason for the lack of jobs in the city was the problems of enterprises that faced Chinese manufacturers in the conditions of market competition. The result of the decline in production was the reduction of jobs, the deterioration of living conditions and the outflow of the population.
In conclusion, I would like to note that the study included only big cities. Outside the results of the analysis were many settlements with a smaller population, but no less difficult economic situation.
