Too great a gap between rich and poor is the main brake that hinders the development of our economy
Five hundred people. So much fits into a large airliner – Boeing or Airbus. And the same number of people own half (40%) of Russian wealth. These are the latest data from the analytical company Boston Consulting Group. International experts have calculated the proportion of the super-rich in all countries of the world. And they came to the conclusion that inequality in Russia is off scale
POOR POPULATION = NO CHANCE FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH
The gap between rich and poor in Russia is one of the largest in the world. There are also super-rich people in other countries. In the same America, where about a dozen citizens have a fortune of $ 100 billion. But if you compare, it turns out that the level of inequality in developed countries is 3-4 times lower than in Russia. That is, super-rich people (with a fortune of more than $ 100 million) own not 40-50%, but 10-15% of all financial assets in the country. The general fortune of Russian moneybags was estimated at $ 640 billion. And these are only financial assets, that is, funds in bank accounts, stocks, bonds and other financial instruments. Excluding real estate.
- Super-high income differentiation means that the majority of the population lives in poverty. And if so, then we will not be able to develop high rates of economic growth, – explains Alexander Safonov, vice-rector of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation.
According to him, in Russia, 73% of employees receive wages below 45 thousand rubles a month, and 53% – below 35 thousand rubles. And only 2% are those who receive more than 100 thousand rubles a month. Accordingly, effective demand is very small.
- The market economy is built on free cash flows. People pay with them for goods and services. The smaller the amount of income that is concentrated in the average household, the less opportunities people have to purchase expensive goods and create demand for various services. Lack of income for the population stops the development of many industries and does not allow small business to develop, – complains Alexander Safonov.
In a poor economy, it makes no sense to create and offer anything other than basic services. At the same time, our export opportunities are limited. For the economy to grow, it is necessary to develop the domestic market. This is impossible without good incomes for the population.
- In a poor economy, people do not go to theaters and cafes. Do not travel around the country as tourists. And most importantly, they don’t save up for their retirement. The population of Russia has switched to an economical consumption model. And this hits the economy – it immediately shrinks, says Safonov.