Russia’s payments to soldiers and their families amount to eight percent of federal spending, study finds

The Russian government paid soldiers and their families between 2.75 trillion and 3 trillion rubles ($31 billion–$33.9 billion) in salaries and compensation payments between July 2023 and June 2024, according to a new estimate by the policy group Re:Russia.

This is equivalent to 1.4–1.6 percent of the country’s expected GDP in 2024, as well as to 7.5–8.2 percent of its federal budget expenditures for this year and 3.4–3.7 percent of all consumer spending in 2023.

“In the 12-month period under consideration, Russians’ total consumer spending increased by about 8 trillion rubles [or $90.3 billion], while deposits increased by about 4.5 trillion rubles [or about $50.8 billion],” the authors write. “These calculations show that the incomes of Russian citizens (military servicemen and their inheritors) from the war plays a significant role in sustaining high rates of consumption and savings — as well as in wage growth, which has been economists’ primary focus.”