Old Age in Poverty: 76 % of russians Are Convinced that Their Pensions Will Not Be Enough to Live on

In modern russia, one’s pension is not a guarantee of a dignified old age, but rather a symbol of poverty and survival. Only 17 % of russians believe that state payments will be enough for a normal life, while the vast majority (76 %) are convinced of the opposite.

In order not to be left below the poverty line, russians are forced to think about saving while they are still young: 30 % believe that one needs to start saving money for old age before the age of 25. One in four considers the optimal period to be 25–35 years of age, and another 14 % consider it to be 36–45.

At this, two-thirds of respondents (65 %) are already planning additional ways to earn money in retirement. Among them, 40 % are preparing for easy manual work, 33 % want to continue working in their profession, and 28 % count only on their own savings. Some people openly plan to feed themselves with produce from their own vegetable gardens (21 %) or hope for help from their children (15 %).

mp of the  state duma from “united russia” irina rodnina has  advised pensioners to “become independent” and no longer rely on the state, because a pension is just an “old-age assistance”,  not a full-fledged income.

In russia, pensions do not guarantee a secure and prosperous old age. For most people, retirement is not the beginning of a well-deserved rest, but a new stage in the struggle for survival.