Наука Красноярья (Dec 2021)
MONETARY INEQUALITY AND INFLATION IN RUSSIA: OFFICIAL STATISTICS AND ASSESSMENTS OF POPULATION
Abstract
The longstanding nature of significant income differentiation of the population and the instability of consumer prices affect the uneven distribution of resources and life opportunities among different groups of the population, exposing some of them to an increased risk of economic vulnerability. These problems are even more made worse during periods of instability in socio-economic life caused by political, anthropogenic or natural (for example, pandemic 2020) reasons. In this regard, the tasks of analyzing the emerging dynamics of inequality and inflation and identifying, on this basis, risks to the well-being of the population, acquire scientific and practical significance. Purpose: The goal of our work is to study the trends of income inequality and inflation, developing against the background of the pandemic, and to identify possible risks to the material wellbeing of Russians. Method or methodology: The paper uses general scientific methods (analysis and synthesis), dynamic analysis of official statistical data and materials of national sociological surveys. Results: We analyzed the dynamics of main indicators of income inequality and inflation, the structure of consumer spending, the volume of deposit and credit transactions of the population, trends in the population’s perception of the financial situation and inflation, the practice of adaptation of the population in conditions of quarantine restrictions. We revealed the current trends in the socio-economic situation and possible risks for the population. Practical implications: The results of the study can be used by federal public authorities to develop social policy directions for lifting people out of poverty and reduce inequality, to develop monetary policy directions to reduce inflation, as well as by researchers interested in this topic.
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