The American edition of Business Insider has compiled a list of 13 of the striking facts about the Russian economy.
While Russia is trying to establish itself as a world power, she has to solve the problem of the vibrating course, reducing the population and the strong dependence on oil and gas, according to the publication.
Every day Russia loses 700 people – 250 000 annually. Some cities, such as Murmansk, has lost more than 30% of the population since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The second “shocking” fact – the size of the reserves. Stocks in Russia, more than 460 billion dollars while the level of external debt of 29% of GDP and 15.9 months of import cover. This will allow Russia to cope with global economic shocks, even with a small growth of the economy.
In the period from 1989 to 1998, output has fallen by 45% since the economic reforms after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, entered into force. By 2000 the country’s GDP ranged from 30% to 50% of the level before the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Journalists are surprised that the gas and oil accounts for 59% of Russian exports. They also note that more than 13% of the population live in poverty. Although the country is among the top ten countries in terms of economic production, the average monthly wage is only $ 670.
In Russia, more than 70 billionaires, many of whom got rich in the 90s, when “filled with corruption”.
In addition, Americans are surprised by the fall of the ruble: the Russian currency has lost more than 50% of the cost. They recalled that in 2013, the US dollar was worth 33 rubles.
It is noted that the share of IKEA in the furniture market reached 20%, and the consumption of vodka decreased by 50%. At the turn of the millennia, the Russians bought 214,6 million decaliters of vodka, by 2015, the number had dropped to below 100 million decaliters. This is attributed to the fact that the Russians switched to wine and beer.
The Americans are amazed that in Russia despite the risk of increased production of asbestos. Last year it amounted to 315 000 tonnes, 80% went for export, including in the United States.
The report States that Russia has invested a quarter of a billion dollars in the diamond sector of Zimbabwe and that the country has spent 50 billion on the Winter Olympics.