On the assessment of the national poverty threshold
This article explores the peculiarities of the phenomenon of poverty in the post-Soviet Russia as one of the key social indicators of the achieved level of well-being and sustainable development of the country. The subject of this research is the socioeconomic relations that condition the persistence of large-scale absolute and relative poverty, and excessive social inequality in the country. The goal consists in outlining boundaries of the existing methodology of definition of poverty; as well as in substantiating that the use of modern methods leads to lowering the subsistence line and minimum wage. The author forms the databases necessary for displaying the absolute and relative poverty threshold in Russia and other foreign countries for the period 2000 – 2019. The article also employs Data Mining. The information framework is comprised of the official statistics of Rosstat and Eurostat, usa.gov International Monetary Fund, World Bank, legal reference system ConsultantPlus; annual reports of the Credit Suisse Institute, World Inequality Lab; infographics of the information analytical portal Knoema. In the course of an analytical retrospective assessment of dynamics of the key indicators of poverty threshold in the Russian Federation, the author establishes a significant discrepancy between the official and actual threshold, which distorts the relevant picture of poverty, impedes the development of the effective strategy for overcoming poverty, which imparts chronic character to this phenomenon. Relying on the relevant foreign experience of poverty reduction strategy, as well as scientific and practical works of the Russian experts in this field, the author justifies the measures for eradication of poverty in the Russian Federation. Recommendations are given for amending the state policy on promoting reduction of poverty in modern Russia, taking into account the need to overcome excessive social inequality.