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indicator value unit
Population 145.7 mil.
Visitors per year 23.7 mil.
Renewable energy 2.8 %

How’s Life?

The Russian Federation has made progress over the last decades in improving the quality of life of its citizens, despite lower than average scores in some topics on the Better Life Index. The Russian Federation underperforms average in  health, social connections, environmental quality, safety and life satisfaction. These assessments are based on available selected data.

Money, while it cannot buy happiness, is an important means to achieving higher living standards. In the Russian Federation, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 19 546 a year, less than the OECD average of USD 30 490 a year.

In terms of employment, about 70% of people aged 15 to 64 in the Russian Federation have a paid job, above the OECD employment average of 66%. Some 75% of men are in paid work, compared with 65% of women. In the Russian Federation, nearly 0% of employees work very long hours in paid work, below the OECD average of 10%.

Good education and skills are important requisites for finding a job. In the Russian Federation, 95% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, higher than the OECD average of 79%. However, completion varies between men and women, as 94% of men have successfully completed high school compared with 96% of women. In terms of the quality of the education system, the average student scored 481 in reading literacy, maths and science in the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This score is lower than the OECD average of 488. On average in the Russian Federation, girls outperformed boys by 7 points, slightly above the average OECD gap of 5 points.

In terms of health, life expectancy at birth in the Russian Federation is around 73 years, eight years lower than the OECD average of 81 years. Life expectancy for women is 78 years, compared with 68 for men. The level of atmospheric PM2.5 – tiny air pollutant particles small enough to enter and cause damage to the lungs – is 11.8 micrograms per cubic meter, below the OECD average of 14 micrograms per cubic meter. In the Russian Federation, 62% of people say they are satisfied with the quality of their water, lower than the OECD average of 84%.

Concerning the public sphere, there is a moderate sense of community and moderate levels of civic participation in the Russian Federation, where 89% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in time of need, less than the OECD average of 91%. Voter turnout, a measure of citizens' participation in the political process, was 68% during recent elections, slightly lower than the OECD average of 69%. Social and economic status can affect voting rates; voter turnout for the top 20% of the population is an estimated 72% and for the bottom 20% it is an estimated 68%.

When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Russians gave it a 5.5 grade on average, lower than the OECD average of 6.7.

 

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

 

 

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OECD in Action

OECD Economic Surveys: Russian Federation

OECD’s periodic surveys of the Russian economy. Each edition surveys the major challenges faced by Russia, evaluates the short-term outlook, and makes specific policy recommendations. Special chapters take a more detailed look at specific challenges. Extensive statistical information is included in charts and graphs.

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Russian Federation in Detail