Putin's salary shock: Moscow pay perceptions clash with reality
Vladimir Putin is unaware of the real earnings of Russians, asserts Anton Gerashchenko, a Ukrainian politician. A recording of Putin’s reaction to salary levels in Moscow was published on social media.
During a meeting of the Board of Trustees of Moscow State University, Vladimir Putin inquired about the average salary in Moscow. He was informed that it ranged from 140,000 to 160,000 rubles, equivalent to approximately $1,425 to $1,630. "No way. More," commented the surprised President of Russia.
The video with Putin was shown
Anton Gerashchenko, former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, shared the recording of the meeting on platform X. He noted that the video was removed by station RBK from official channels. "They don’t want the Russian public to know how out of touch their President is," commented Gerashchenko.
According to Gerashchenko, Putin would be even more surprised if he knew that even these numbers are likely inflated. "According to latest data from one of the largest job search sites in Russia, Gorodrabot, the average salary in Moscow as of Dec 2024 was 80,000-100,000 rubles ($800-$1000). The averages across the country are significantly lower than that," wrote the politician. Journalists from "The Moscow Times" report that in 2024, the average salary in Russia increased by 15%.
The Russian Ministry of Economic Development forecasts that by 2027 the average salary will be around 100,000 rubles ($1020). Currently, unemployment in the country is at a record low of 2.3%. In November 2024, the average earnings of doctors were 88,400 rubles ($900), IT specialists 114,200 rubles ($1170), and accountants 62,300 rubles ($640).
