Lilia Ovcharova, HSE University: “The Problem of Poverty in Russia is Solved”

The problem of poverty in Russia has been solved. This was stated to journalists today at the 17th International Economic Forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum” by Lilia Ovcharova, Vice-Rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE). According to her, at the beginning of the 2000s more than a third of the country’s population had an income below the subsistence minimum, whereas now that figure is around 6%.

“Over the past ten years, the poverty rate in Russia has been declining at a very rapid pace. We see this in comparison with other countries as well: Russia is among the states with a low level of poverty. In my view, the issue lies elsewhere: poverty is not the only indicator measuring a country’s well-being. If we are talking about quality of life improving only when there is economic growth, that is indeed the case. We have reached a point where expanding the middle class has become the main task for our country’s prosperity,” said Lilia Ovcharova.
Elmira Zaripova, Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Protection of the Republic of Tatarstan, reported that 1,500 vacancies had been opened in the region in the last week alone. At present, over 50,000 vacancies are available. At the same time, the number of officially unemployed people in Tatarstan stands at 3,700.

“That means we can offer up to 14 jobs for each unemployed person. In these circumstances, developing human resources and industrial potential is issue number one, and the employment service is working very actively on this. We focus not only on working with the unemployed – we offer retraining programmes, professional development courses, and the option to choose a second profession. We work closely with employers at the vacancy-submission stage to ensure that jobs are competitive and attract responses from those seeking work,” said the head of Tatarstan’s Ministry of Labour.

Zaripova spoke about support measures for employers who, for example, hire people with disabilities: such companies can receive subsidies ranging from three to six times the minimum wage. The recruitment of workers from other regions is also subsidised. In 2025, there were eight such companies in Tatarstan, and since the start of this year there have already been seven.

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The International Economic Forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum” is being held in Kazan from 12 to 17 May 2026. In accordance with a decree of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, the Forum acquired federal status in 2023, becoming the main platform for interaction between Russia and the Islamic world.
Representatives from 103 countries have registered for KazanForum 2026.
The Forum’s 2026 business programme includes 149 events across 21 tracks. Several international exhibitions will be held as part of the Forum: the International Exhibition of Cooperation between Russia and the Islamic World, the “Innovations. Investment. Infrastructure” Exhibition, the International Real Estate Exhibition and Conference, and the Kazan Halal Market Trade Fair. The agenda also includes: the Forum of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of OIC Countries, the Forum of Young Diplomats, the Forum of Young Entrepreneurs, meetings of intergovernmental commissions and bilateral conferences, festivals, gastronomic and sports projects, including the “Business on Horseback” horse race and the International Jockeys’ Championship.
In 2026, Kazan holds the status of Cultural Capital of the Islamic World. Cultural co‑operation will be one of the key themes of the humanitarian agenda – during the Forum, the Congress of Ministers of Culture of OIC Countries and the 15th Session of the ICESCO General Conference will be held. The programme will conclude with the “Изге Болгар җыены” gathering in Bolgar, dedicated to the Day of the Official Adoption of Islam by Volga Bulgaria

The full programme of the Event is available on the Forum’s official website.

The Roscongress Foundation acts as the Operator for the preparation and holding of the Event, whereas ANO “Directorate for Sports and Social Projects” serves as the Operator’s Executive Directorate.