Russian Federation

Did You Know?

Population
142.8
mil.
Visitors per year
23.7
mil.
Renewable energy
2.8
%

How’s Life?

The Russian Federation has made progress over the last decade in improving the quality of life of its citizens, despite lower than average scores in some topics on the Better Life Index.

Money, while it cannot buy happiness, is an important means to achieving higher living standards. In Russia, the average household net-adjusted disposable income is 15 286 USD a year, less than the OECD average of 23 047 USD a year. But there is a considerable gap between the richest and poorest – the top 20% of the population earn nine times as much as the bottom 20%.

In terms of employment, around 68% of people aged 15 to 64 in Russia have a paid job, slightly above the OECD employment average of 66%. Some 72% of men are in paid work, compared with 64% of women. People in Russia work 1 981 hours a year, more than most people in the OECD who work 1 776 hours. Very few employees work very long hours, compared with 9% on average across the OECD.

Having a good education is an important requisite for finding a job. In Russia, 91% of adults aged 25-64 have earned the equivalent of a high-school degree, much higher than the OECD average of 74%. This is truer of women than men, as 90% of men have successfully completed high-school compared with 93% of women. In terms of the quality of the educational system, the average student scored 469 in reading literacy, maths and science in the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), lower than the OECD average of 497. On average in Russia, girls outperformed boys by 15 points, higher than the average OECD gap of 9 points.

In terms of health, life expectancy at birth in Russia is 70 years, ten years below the OECD average of 80 years. Life expectancy for women is 76 years, compared with 64 for men. The level of atmospheric PM10 – tiny air pollutant particles small enough to enter and cause damage to the lungs – is 16 micrograms per cubic meter, lower than the OECD average of 21 micrograms per cubic meter. Russia could do better in terms of water quality, as only 49% of people say they are satisfied with the quality of their water, below the OECD average of 84%.

Concerning the public sphere, there is a moderate sense of community and level of civic participation in Russia, where 87% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in time of need, less than the OECD average of 90%. Voter turnout, a measure of public trust in government and of citizens’ participation in the political process, was 65% during recent elections; this figure is lower than the OECD average of 72%. There is little difference in voting levels across society; voter turnout for the top 20% of the population is 70% and for the bottom 20% it is 66%, a much narrower gap than the OECD average gap of 12 percentage points, suggesting there is broad social inclusion in Russia’s democratic institutions

In general, Russians are less satisfied with their lives than the OECD average, with 74% of people saying they have more positive experiences in an average day (feelings of rest, pride in accomplishment, enjoyment, etc) than negative ones (pain, worry, sadness, boredom, etc). This figure is lower than the OECD average of 80%.

Topics

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Russian Federation in Detail

Housing

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Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people’s lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In the Russian Federation, households on average spend 11% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, approximately half the average OECD level of 21%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities In the Russian Federation, 62% of people say they are satisfied with their current housing situation, much less than the OECD average of 87% . This level of subjective satisfaction reflects the Russian Federation’s mixed performance in objective housing indicators.

The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children’s development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Russia, the average home contains 0.9 rooms per person, less than the OECD average of 1.6 rooms per person. 

Indicators

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Income

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Key Findings

While money may not buy happiness, it is an important means to achieving higher living standards and thus greater well-being. Higher economic wealth may also improve access to quality education, healthcare and housing.

Household net-adjusted disposable income is the amount of money that a household earns each year after tax. It represents the money available to a household for spending on goods or services. In the Russian Federation, the average household net-adjusted disposable income is estimated at 15 286 USD a year, lower than the OECD average of 23 047 USD.

Household financial wealth is the total value of a household’s financial worth. In the Russian Federation, the average household net financial wealth is considerably lower than the OECD average of 40 516 USD. While the ideal measure of household wealth should include real assets (e.g. land and dwellings), such information is currently available for only a small number of OECD countries.

Despite a general increase in living standards across OECD countries over the past fifteen years, not all people have benefited from this to the same extent. In Russia the average net adjusted disposable income of the top 20% of the population is an estimated 37 269 USD a year, whereas the bottom 20% live on an estimated 4 153 USD a year. 

Indicators

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Jobs

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Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one’s own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In the Russian Federation, close to 68% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is slightly higher than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Women are still less likely than men to participate in the labour market. In the Russian Federation, 64% of women have jobs. This is more than the OECD average of 60% but less than the 72% employment rate of men in the Russian Federation. This 8 percentage point difference is lower than the OECD average of 12 percentage points and suggests the Russian Federation could further improve employment opportunities for women but has generally been successful in addressing the constraints and barriers women face in accessing work.

Young Russians, aged 15-24, face an unemployment rate of 15.5%, slightly lower than the OECD average of 16.2%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Russia, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 2.2%, lower than the OECD average of 3.1%. There is little difference on average between men and women in the OECD area when it comes to long-term unemployment. In Russia, the long-term unemployment rate for men is slightly higher than for women, at respectively 2.3% and 2.1%.

Indicators

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Community

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Key Findings

Humans are social creatures. The frequency of our contact with others and the quality of our personal relationships are thus crucial determinants of our well-being. Helping others can also make you happier. In the Russian Federation, only 32% of people reported having helped a stranger in the last month, much less than the OECD average of 48% and suggesting an increased risk of social isolation.

A strong social network, or community, can provide emotional support during both good and bad times as well as provide access to jobs, services and other material opportunities. In Russia, around 87% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in a time of need, less than the OECD average of 90%. There is little difference between men and women, as 87% of men believe they have this kind of social support, compared with 88% of women. While gender has little impact on social network support, there is a relationship between the availability of social support on the one hand, and people’s education level, on the other. In Russia, around 83% of people who have completed primary education report having someone to count on for help in times of need, compared to 89% for people who attained tertiary education.

A weak social network can result in limited economic opportunities, a lack of contact with others, and eventually, feelings of isolation. Socially isolated individuals face difficulties integrating into society as a contributing member and fulfilling personal aspirations. 

Indicators

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Education

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Key Findings

A well-educated and well-trained population is essential for a country’s social and economic well-being. Education plays a key role in providing individuals with the knowledge, skills and competences needed to participate effectively in society and in the economy.  Most concretely, having a good education greatly improves the likelihood of finding a job and earning enough money. Across OECD countries, 83% of people with university-level degrees have a job, compared with just below 56% for those with only a secondary school diploma. Lifetime earnings also increase with each level of education.

Following a decline in manual labour over previous decades, employers now favour a more educated labour force. High-school graduation rates therefore provide a good indication of whether a country is preparing its students to meet the minimum requirements of the job market. In the Russian Federation, 91% of adults aged 25-64 have earned the equivalent of a high-school degree, higher than the OECD average of 74%.Across the OECD, slightly more men aged 25-64 have the equivalent of a high-school degree compared with women from the same age group. In Russia, however, the opposite is true as 90% of men have successfully completed high-school compared with 93% of women. Among younger people – a better indicator of Russia’s future – 91% of 25-34 year-olds have earned the equivalent of a high-school degree, higher than the OECD average of 82%.

Russians can expect to go through 16.6 years of education between the ages of 5 and 39, close to the OECD average of 16.5 years. This high level of education expectancy echoes Russia’s good performance in the educational attainment of its 25-34 year-old population.  

But graduation rates, while important, speak little to the quality of education received. The OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reviews the extent to which students have acquired some of the knowledge and skills that are essential for full participation in modern societies.  In 2009, PISA focused on examining students’ reading ability, skills in maths and level in sciences, as research shows that these skills are more reliable predictors of economic and social well-being than the number of years spent in school.

The average student in Russia scored 469 in reading literacy, maths and sciences, lower than the OECD average of 497. On average, girls outperformed boys by 15 points, more than the average OECD gap of 9 points.

The best-performing school systems manage to provide high-quality education to all students. In Russia, the average difference in results, between the 20% with the highest socio-economic background and the 20% with the lowest socio-economic background, is 85 points, lower than the OECD average of 99 points. This suggests the school system in Russia provides relatively equal access to high-quality education.

Indicators

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Environment

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Key Findings

The quality of our local living environment has a direct impact on our health and well-being. Outdoor air pollution is one important environmental issue that directly affects the quality of peoples’ lives. Despite national and international interventions and decreases in major pollutant emissions, the health impacts of urban air pollution continue to worsen, with air pollution set to become the top environmental cause of premature mortality globally by 2050. Air pollution in urban centres, often caused by transport and the use of small-scale burning of wood or coal, is linked to a range of health problems, from minor eye irritation to upper respiratory symptoms in the short-term and chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer in the long-term. Children and the elderly may be particularly vulnerable.

PM10 – tiny particulate matter small enough to be inhaled into the deepest part of the lung – is monitored in OECD countries because it can harm human health and reduce life expectancy. In the Russian Federation, PM10 levels are 15.6 micrograms per cubic meter, lower than the OECD average of 20.9 micrograms per cubic meter and lower than the annual guideline limit of 20 micrograms per cubic meter set by the World Health Organization.

Access to clean water is fundamental to human well-being. Despite significant progress in OECD countries in reducing water pollution, improvements in freshwater quality are not always easy to discern. In Russia, 49% of people say they are satisfied with water quality. This figure is much lower than the OECD average of 84% and suggests Russia still faces difficulties in providing good quality water to its inhabitants.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Improving energy and transport policies to fight air pollution

The Russian Federation has one of the highest rates of premature deaths due to air pollution in the world. From 2000 to 2007, ambient air pollution standards were exceeded in more than 170 cities in Russia. Despite decreases in recent years, 2010 data show that air pollution is still high in 135 Russian cities (large cities and cities with heavy industry). The main pollutants are sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrous oxide (NOX) and particulate matter from stationary (industrial centres) and mobile sources (e.g. transport in big cities). Vehicle emissions exceed industry emissions in many Russian cities.

Many initiatives to reduce air pollution are carried out in Russia at the regional level. One of the regions where important progress has been made is Sverdlovsk, one of the most heavily industrialised regions in Russia. For example, in 2000 the number of enterprises exceeding the emission limits was 45, but this had fallen to 21 in 2005 and by 2011 to just 10. The reform of the environmental regulatory system launched by the Russian Government will also contribute to the improvement of air quality management systems in Russia.

Russia is also one of the most energy-intensive economies. Given that energy consumption is the largest single factor behind high levels of air pollution, improving environmental effectiveness of energy policies should lead to substantial environmental gains. The 2009 Energy Strategy to 2030 includes objectives and actions addressing these issues. For instance, the country has set itself an ambitious goal: reducing by 40% the energy intensity of its GDP. To reach this goal, the government has committed to spending more than 1% of GDP on average over the 2011-20 period to reduce energy use in all sectors of the economy. The associated modernisation of production could lead to the creation of nearly 300 000 new jobs in the environmental sector through 2020. The use of financial incentives such as carbon taxation, cap-and-trade schemes for emissions, or green taxes to influence consumer behaviour could help the Russian Federation meet this ambitious target.

Indicators

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Civic engagement

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Key Findings

A cohesive society is one where citizens have a high degree of confidence in their governmental institutions and public administration. In the Russian Federation, 44% of people say they trust their political institutions, less than the OECD average of 56%. High voter turnout is another measure of public trust in government and of citizens’ participation in the political process. In the most recent elections for which data is available, voter turnout in Russia was 65% of those registered. This figure is lower than the OECD average of 72%.

Even if the right to vote is universal in all OECD countries, not everyone exercises this right. There is little difference in the voting rates of men and women in most OECD countries. In Russia, however, women outvote men by nearly 8 percentage points. Income can also have a strong influence on voter turnout. In Russia, voter turnout for the top 20% of the population is an estimated 70%, whereas the participation rate of the bottom 20% is an estimated 66%. This 4 percentage point difference is much lower than the OECD average difference of 12 percentage points and suggests there is broad social inclusion in Russia’s democratic institutions. 

Ensuring that government decision making is not compromised by conflicts of interest is key to maintaining trust in government. Transparency is therefore essential to hold government to account and to maintain confidence in public institutions.

Freedom of information laws (FOI) allow the possibility for individuals to access undisclosed information. For such policies to be successful, the public should have a clear understanding of their rights under the law, should be able to file requests with ease and should be protected against any possible retaliation. People in Russia can file a request for information either in writing, online, by telephone or in person – thus greatly facilitating the FOI process. The Russian Federation is one of the few countries to have adopted provisions for protection from retaliation, but does not allow for anonymous requests.

Indicators

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Health

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Key Findings

Most OECD countries have enjoyed large gains in life expectancy over the past decades, thanks to improvements in living conditions, public health interventions and progress in medical care. Life expectancy at birth in the Russian Federation is 70 years, ten years below the OECD average of 80 years. Life expectancy for women is 76 years, compared with 64 years for men, a much larger difference than the average OECD gender gap of six years, with a life expectancy of 83 years for women and 77 for men.

Higher life expectancy is generally associated with higher healthcare spending per person, although many other factors have an impact on life expectancy (such as living standards, lifestyles, education and environmental factors). Total health spending accounts for 5.1% of GDP in Russia, much less than the OECD average of 9.5%. The Russian Federation also ranks below the OECD average in terms of total health spending per person, at 998 USD in 2010, compared with an OECD average of 3268 USD. 

Throughout the OECD, tobacco consumption and excessive weight gain remain important risk factors for many chronic diseases. Around 33.8% of adults in Russia smoke daily, compared with an OECD average of 21.1%. In many OECD countries, large proportions of the population are overweight or obese. In Russia, the obesity rate among adults – based on self-reported height and weight – is 15.9%, lower than the OECD average of 17.8%. Obesity’s growing prevalence foreshadows increases in the occurrence of health problems (such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and asthma), and higher health care costs in the future.

When asked, “How is your health in general?”, only 37% of people in Russia reported to be in good health, much less than the OECD average of 69%. Despite the subjective nature of this question, answers have been found to be a good predictor of people’s future health care use. Gender, age and social status may affect answers to this question. On average in OECD countries, men are more likely to report good health than women, with an average of 71% for men and 66% for women. In Russia, the average is 45% for men and 33% for women. Not surprisingly, older people report poorer health, as do those who are unemployed, or who have less education or income.

Indicators

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Life Satisfaction

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Key Findings

Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.

Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. It captures a reflective assessment of which life circumstances and conditions are important for subjective well-being. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Russians gave it a 5.6 grade, lower than the OECD average of 6.6.

There is little difference in life satisfaction levels between men and women across OECD countries. This is true in Russia, where both men and women gave their life a 5.6 grade. Education levels, however, influence subjective well-being. Whereas people who have only completed primary education in the Russian federation have a life satisfaction level of 5.4, this score reaches 6.0 for people with tertiary education.

Happiness, or subjective well-being, is also measured by the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and/or the absence of negative experiences and feelings. In Russia 74% of people reported having more positive experiences in an average day (feelings of rest, pride in accomplishment, enjoyment, etc) than negative ones (pain, worry, sadness, boredom, etc). This figure is lower than the OECD average of 80%.

Indicators

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Safety

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Key Findings

Personal security is a core element for the well-being of individuals, and largely reflects the risks of people being physically assaulted or falling victim to other types of crime. Across the OECD, assault rates have generally declined in the past five years. In the Russian Federation, 2.8% of people reported falling victim to assault over the previous 12 months, less than the OECD average of 4.0%. There is a difference of more than 1 percentage point between men and women in assault rates, at respectively 3.5% and 2.3%.

The homicide rate (the number of murders per 100,000 inhabitants) is a more reliable measure of a country’s safety level because, unlike other crimes, murders are usually always reported to the police. According to the latest OECD data, the Russian Federation’s homicide rate is 10.2, much higher than the OECD average of 2.2. In the Russian Federation, the homicide rate for men is 16.6 compared with 4.9 for women.

Fear of crime is another important indicator as it can constrain behaviour, restrict freedom and threaten the foundation of communities. Despite a general reduction in assault rates in the past five years, in many OECD countries feelings of security have declined. In the Russian Federation, 46% of people feel safe walking alone at night, lower than the OECD average of 67%. While men are at a greater risk of being victims of assaults and violent crimes, women report lower feelings of security than men. This has been explained by a greater fear of sexual attacks, the feeling they must also protect their children and their concern that they may be seen as partially responsible.

Indicators

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Work-Life Balance

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Key Findings

Finding a suitable balance between work and life is a challenge for all workers, especially working parents. Some couples would like to have (more) children, but do not see how they could afford to stop working. Other parents are happy with the number of children in their family, but would like to work more. This is a challenge to governments because if parents cannot achieve their desired work/life balance, not only is their welfare lowered but so is development in the country.

An important aspect of work-life balance is the amount of time a person spends at work. Evidence suggests that long work hours may impair personal health, jeopardize safety and increase stress. People in the Russian Federation work 1 981 hours a year, more than the OECD average of 1 776 hours. The share of employees working more than 50 hours per week is not very large across OECD countries. In the Russian Federation only 0.2% of employees work very long hours, much less than the OECD average of 9%. Overall, men spend more hours in paid work across the OECD. In Russia however, there is hardly any difference. 

 

Indicators

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