- Статьи
- Economy
- In an advanced position: the difference in pensions in the regions has reached a record 24.5 thousand
In an advanced position: the difference in pensions in the regions has reached a record 24.5 thousand
The spread in the amount of pensions in the regions amounted to a record 24.5 thousand rubles, follows from the data of the Social Fund (Izvestia analyzed them). The reason is the difference in salaries and local coefficients. In some regions, the purchasing power of pensions is particularly low and does not correlate with the size of the consumer basket. Elderly people barely have enough money for basic expenses, as a result, many have to go to work to maintain their standard of living. Whether the gap will continue to widen is in the Izvestia article.
Where are the highest and lowest pensions in Russia
By the end of 2025, the largest pensions were awarded to residents of Chukotka - almost 45.5 thousand rubles, and the lowest were in Kabardino—Balkaria (about 21 thousand). Thus, the difference was 24.5 thousand, follows from the data of the Social Fund (SFR) at the end of last year.
The maximum regional pension turned out to be almost 2.2 times higher than the minimum. The average amount across the country was 27.2 thousand rubles.
The gap between payments has peaked since 2021, when statistics began to be published. During this time, the difference between the maximum and minimum pensions has risen from 15.6 thousand to 24.5 thousand, that is, more than 1.5 times. Compared to 2024, the indicator increased by 11%.
During this entire period, Chukotka was among the absolute leaders in terms of pensions. The CBD became the lagging region in 2022-2025, and Dagestan in 2021. The top subjects with the highest payments also included the northern and Far Eastern regions — Magadan Region (39.8 thousand), Kamchatka Territory (39.6 thousand), Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug (39 thousand) and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (38.6 thousand). Anti—rating was led mainly by Caucasian and southern subjects - Dagestan (21.2 thousand), Kalmykia (almost 23 thousand) and Ingushetia (23.2 thousand), follows from the statistics of the Social Fund.
Why do pensions differ in different regions?
The amount of the pension is affected by the amount of the official salary. In those regions where the official salary is higher than the average in Russia, there are more old-age payments, said Natalia Milchakova, a leading analyst at Freedom Finance Global. However, these figures are not completely correlated.
Thus, according to Rosstat data for November 2025, the largest average salary was recorded in the Magadan region (244 thousand), and the smallest in Ingushetia (44 thousand). In Chukotka, the wage amounted to 211.7 thousand, while in Kabardino-Balkaria it was almost 53.2 thousand. Thus, the difference between the salary paid in these two regions was about four times.
The difference in salary levels is also related to sectoral and regional aspects — a similar pattern is observed with respect to pensions, the press service of the All-Russian Research Institute of Labor told Izvestia. For example, the professional qualification structure plays an essential role in this case. There are sectors of the economy where traditionally high salaries are primarily extractive industries.
High salaries generate a greater number of individual pension coefficients (points that are awarded for work experience), which then provides a higher payout, the All-Russian Research Institute of Labor specified.
Another factor is the level of economic development of the region, which affects the income of the population and the level of employment, said Yulia Finogenova, Professor of the Department of State and Municipal Finance at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics. The more large employer companies there are in a region, the higher the potential salaries and subsequent old-age payments.
Citizens can also receive an increased pension if they have sufficient length of service, as payments have been increased in some regions. For example, people who have worked for at least 15 years in the Far North or 20 years in equivalent territories are eligible to receive an increased fixed pension payment, Yulia Finogenova noted. The length of service for men should be at least 25 years, and for women - 20 years. In this case, the amount of the fixed part of the payment is multiplied by a factor of 1.5 or 1.3, respectively, the expert added.
In addition, in the southern regions with agricultural specialization, the salary level is traditionally lower, said Darina Medvednikova, a junior researcher at the Center for Spatial Analysis and Regional Diagnostics at the Institute of Applied Economic Research of the Presidential Academy. She added that a significant part of income, especially in the republics of the North Caucasus, is generated in the shadow sector and does not participate in the calculation of pension rights.
Izvestia asked the SFR what the gap was about and why it was growing.
How to reduce pension inequality
The difference in payments can create social inequality if older people are unable to cover their basic needs.
The amount of the pensioner's subsistence level varies greatly from region to region. For example, in Chukotka, this figure in 2026 is 42.5 thousand, while the average pension is 45.5 thousand. At the same time, the living wage of an elderly person in the CBD is about 17.5 thousand, with an average pension of 21 thousand. The size of the PMP depends on the climatic conditions, the structure of consumption and the average price of the consumer basket, Yulia Finogenova emphasized.
At the same time, the cost of living in the Far North and the Far East is much higher than anywhere else in the country. According to Rosstat data for December, the price of the minimum set of products in the country was about 7.3 thousand rubles. It includes 33 products, including bread, cereals, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, and meat.
In Chukotka, this figure was 2.5 times higher — 18.4 thousand. Other remote regions, Kamchatka (12.7 thousand rubles) and the Magadan Region (12.7 thousand rubles), also entered the top leaders. There are more logistical costs and higher prices for housing and communal services, said Yulia Finogenova from Plekhanov Russian University of Economics. In addition, due to severe climatic conditions, the structure of consumption and heating costs also differs from the Russian average, she added.
For comparison, the lowest price was for basic products in Mordovia (5,9 thousand), the Penza region (6,2 thousand) and Chuvashia (6,2 thousand). The food package in the CBD, in turn, is also slightly cheaper than the average in Russia — almost 6,8 thousand, but not the minimum in the country. This suggests that in some regions, the purchasing power of pensions does not correlate with the size of the consumer basket. Because of this, old-age payments may not be enough to cover even basic needs. To increase their income, many retirees are forced to work.
In order to bridge the regional gap, it is important to create new jobs in small towns and villages, develop industry, and build large data centers and power plants based on renewable energy sources, says Natalia Milchakova from Freedom Finance Global. She clarified that this is especially true for the North Caucasus, where there is a high potential for solar and wind generation.
In addition, it is important to form technology parks that link basic science with production, and actively develop tourism and infrastructure in the southern regions.
If systemic measures are not taken, the gap will widen — it is fueled by the uneven economic and social development of the territories, including the differences between the north and south of the country, Natalia Milchakova noted. At the same time, the policy of equalization should relate to the standard of living in the regions as a whole and take into account the interests of all social groups. Reducing differences in income and quality of life between subjects will directly affect the reduction of the difference in pension amounts.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
