MOSCOW, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Russia's poverty rate declined to 6.7 percent in 2025, down 0.4 percentage point from the previous year, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said on Friday.
Speaking at a board meeting of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, Golikova said the reduction in poverty was driven by rising wages, employment-support measures and targeted social assistance programs.
She noted that one of the key tools used to support low-income citizens was the social contract program, under which the government provides households in need with assistance such as social services, cash payments and support for purchasing essential goods.
More than 44 percent of Russians participating in the program were lifted out of poverty, Golikova said. ■
