Director of the Centre for Stratification Studies, Institute for Social Policy, HSE
In terms of concentration of wealth in the hands of a small group, 1% of the population, Russia is among the world’s leaders. This group is almost inaccessible for sociological analysis, but a few assessments can be made from open sources.
Inequality remains a sore point in socio-economic development, but society's key demands for justice have more to do with inequalities of opportunity such as equality before the law and equal access to healthcare and education, than with the elimination of income inequality.
Analysis of recent social changes in Russia shows that Russians are actively moving between income groups. However, it suggests a precariousness of even modest prosperity, rather than real accessibility of top income groups.
Analyses of poverty and well-being depend on the methods used to assess the social structure of society. The most suitable methods for Russia are methods applicable to developed countries – but the results of these methods show a decline in living standards.
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