MOSCOW The richest 10 percent of Russia's citizens accounted for 34.3 percent of the country's income in the first nine months of this year, official figures showed Tuesday.
But that was slightly down on the 35.5 percent they raked in during the same period a year earlier, said the State Statistics Office, cited by Interfax news agency. Meanwhile, the poorest 10 percent fell on even harder times. They accounted for 2.4 percent of Russia's revenue in the nine months, compared to 2.5 percent a year earlier, AFP reported.
The gulf between rich and poor was still wide, with the richest 20 percent of the people hauling in 48.6 percent of the income, leaving the poorest 20 percent with just 6.1 percent. But the proportion of the population with a monthly income of less than 400 roubles ($14/17 euros) fell to 1.8 percent in the period from 4.3 percent a year earlier. And only 5.3 percent of the population had a monthly income of 400-to-600 roubles, compared to 10.2 percent a year before. Russians with a revenue of more than 2,000 roubles a month accounted for 35.2 percent of the population in the nine months.
Average income climbed to 2,192 roubles in September alone.
Income was up 12 percent year-on-year in the month in real terms, after accounting for inflation, the figures showed. The average salary climbed to 2,403 roubles in the month. It was up by 24 percent year-on-year in real terms but was still 19.5 percent below the level of September 1997, before the financial crisis of summer 1998 and the devaluation of the rouble.