Most of the economically unstable (about 50%) are located in cities with a population of up to 100 thousand people and in rural areas.
Photo: Andrey TSYGANOV
Thus, the Higher School of Economics calculated that more than 62% of Russian households show signs of financial instability. What does it mean? Either they do not have any savings, or they spend more than a third of their income on paying off loans, or they have arrears in paying loans, housing and communal services, fines and taxes. This study is carried out for the third time. And now, according to the results of a survey of almost 7,000 people in 55 regions, it was shown that in about six months the proportion of these households (or, simply, families) increased from 56.4% to 62.4%.
To work, analysts study Rosstat data, statistics and open materials of the Bank of Russia. It turned out that the majority of the economically unstable (about 50%) are located in cities with a population of up to 100 thousand people and in rural areas. In Moscow and St. Petersburg there are only 4 to 5%.
At the same time, there are more people who do not have savings (cash, deposits, securities, etc.): their share increased from 54.7% to 61%. The number of citizens whose loan payments amount to 30% of their monthly household income is more or less stable (it has increased since the fall: from 3.9% to 5%). But there were fewer debtors for overdue loans: from 3.8% to 2%.
– Financial instability is not synonymous with poverty. First of all, this is an indicator of the lack or lack of financial resources of the family to cope with the situation of financial shock,” explains Mikhail Sergeichik, head of the NIFI project of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation “Moifinance.rf ”. . – Signs of financial instability include the lack of a financial safety net (“rainy day” reserves for at least 3 to 6 months), as well as a significant burden of debt obligations (more than 30% of the family budget for the month). ). Financial instability is caused by, among other things, the habit of living one day at a time and the lack of long-term financial planning skills.
According to the expert, the general increase in income levels and the presence of social measures of government support make it possible to stay afloat and not fall into poverty, but, nevertheless, it is a precarious situation. In a crisis situation, such a family quickly loses its current level of economic well-being: it loses the ability to pay and, as a result, financial stability.
It is curious that the share of financially unstable families is growing against the background of a drop in the poverty level to a historical minimum (recall that in 2023, according to Rosstat, 9.3% of the country’s population was below the threshold of poverty).
“The level of poverty is currently decreasing due to an increase in the “transfer component” in the income of the population, that is, social support from the state or the employer in the form of benefits, benefits, payments, and not due to an increase in labor. productivity,” said Vasily Anikin, a leading researcher at the Institute of Sociology of the Federal Research Center for Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences. – The growth in income currently observed cannot compensate for the increase in prices of food products, durable goods and real estate, as well as a number of expensive services: educational and tourist.
As the expert noted, to improve the situation it is necessary to develop high-tech production and robotization and reconsider approaches to the formation of public sector salaries: this could be linked to the cost of living in the region.
However, not everything depends on the State: financially fragile households themselves can do a lot.
“To avoid falling into this situation, it is necessary to behave financially competently: try to keep expenses under control, not increase them too much as income increases, save, take advantage of tax benefits and deductions, know your rights and use them. ”says analyst Mikhail Sergeichik. – Forming a financial safety net is the path to financial stability. This is a reserve that is always at hand and is used strictly in crisis situations, for example in the event of loss of employment or long-term illness.
In addition, the expert assures, the habit of saving even with a low income (a fixed amount or a percentage of income), the periodic analysis of expenses to get rid of unnecessary or irrelevant expenses will undoubtedly bring a positive result in the form of benefits. financial. stability. To get out of a credit hole, you need to periodically audit your debts. Strive to pay off the most “expensive” obligations first (even through partial early repayments). This will allow you to gradually reduce your debt load. In a critical situation, debt obligations can be addressed through credit holidays, which are now available for all types of loans.
