Russian household income from business activities and overall cash earnings in recent years
Recent calculations show that Russians earned about 6 trillion rubles from business activities in 2023. In nominal terms, this marks an upward swing of roughly 32 percent compared with the prior year, amounting to an increase of nearly 1.5 trillion rubles. When inflation is taken into account, real terms still reflect a meaningful rise, close to 25 percent since 2022. These figures come from Rosstat and were cited by RBC, referring to estimates developed by Svetlana Misikhin, Deputy Director at the Development Center of the Higher School of Economics, part of the National Research University.
By the end of last year, business income represented 6.8 percent of the total money income received by Russian citizens. This was the highest share seen since 2014, when the share stood at 7 percent. Estimates for the share of entrepreneurial income point to about 5.7 percent in both 2021 and 2022, suggesting a persistent but fluctuating contribution of self-employment to household finances.
On the whole, Russia’s total cash income reached approximately 88.3 trillion rubles in the most recent year. Of this aggregate, wages from employment accounted for about 59 percent, social benefits for around 19.5 percent, and other forms of cash income—such as remittances, lottery winnings, recycling revenues, and various other smaller streams—roughly 10.3 percent. The remaining portion is linked to property income, defined here as returns on financial assets like dividends, deposit interest, and payments on securities. In real terms, property income declined sharply last year, sliding about 41 percent, which reduced its share from 7.8 percent to roughly 4.4 percent in 2022. In that period, income from property remained higher than income from business activity, signaling a notable shift in the composition of household earnings.
Looking ahead, industry observers have started to examine how salaries in specific sectors are evolving. In particular, the technology sector has drawn attention for its wage dynamics. Analysts note that IT specialists have experienced measurable salary growth in recent years, reflecting demand for technical skills across Russian enterprises as digital transformation efforts accelerate. While the exact pace of increases varies by company and region, the trend points to higher compensation for skilled IT workers as a response to competition for talent and the strategic importance of technology teams in business planning.
Experts also highlight how policy, labor market conditions, and the broader macroeconomic environment interact with wage movements. For workers in regulated professions or those receiving state-supported benefits, changes in basic pay structures can influence total cash income. At the same time, individuals with portfolios of financial assets may still encounter volatility in property income, depending on interest rates, market performance, and the capital allocation choices of households. In this evolving landscape, the interplay between entrepreneurial income and traditional wage earnings continues to shape the overall income picture for Russian households, with regional and sectoral differences adding nuance to the national totals. (Source: Rosstat; RBC; Misikhin, HSE)
In summary, the data indicate a complex shift in how Russians earn money, where business activity and entrepreneurial earnings contribute a growing share alongside wages and benefits. The balance among these streams reflects both structural factors—such as the expansion of small and medium enterprises—and policy-driven changes that affect wages, benefits, and savings. As the economy adapts to new technologies, investment patterns, and global economic conditions, observers expect ongoing monitoring of income composition to capture fresh developments in the years ahead.