Gap Between rich and poor russians grows

[The Straight Story]

GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR RUSSIANS GROWS

13:47
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MOSCOW, May 4. (RIA Novosti) - The gap between the wealthiest and the poorest Russians now stands at 14.9 times, reads a report of the Federal State Statistics Service on the country's social and economic development in Q1 2005 and quoted in the daily Noviye Izvestia.

At the beginning of the year the gap was 14.8 times, but grew by 0.1 times in April. According to official data, the richest 10% of the population received 29.8% of its income in Q1, whereas the poorest 10% received only 2%.

The World Trade Organization views a gap of 14.2 times as enough to present a real danger of social unrest in a country. Russia crossed this line in 2003, with a gap of 14.3.

Independent experts say that the real situation is even worse than the picture painted by official statistics. Sergei Mitrokhin, a deputy chairman of the Yabloko party, maintains that the Statistics Service has "as always" adjusted figures to please the country's leadership. He claims that expenditures, particularly housing and communal service bills, which consume most earnings, were not completely taken into account while living standards were calculated. Moreover, in his opinion, inflation was not considered in full either, the paper adds.

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