Experts checked which country of the former USSR had the highest salaries in 2016. The average official remuneration in Ukraine is only USD $192 per month. In Tajikistan it’s even lower—$116 per month. The highest level of wages is in Russia—$556.
Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), which are now parts of the European Union, were not included in the comparison survey.
It is necessary to point out that the experts took the official data only. Lots of people in Ukraine and Russia receive “grey” payments by cash in addition to official earnings, which are not included in statistics, of course.
Average monthly salaries in former USSR countries, 2016 statistics
The research compared remuneration among the former USSR countries and found out which had the highest wages.
Here are the wages in the former USSR countries:
- The lowest remuneration is in Tajikistan—$116 per month.
- The official average wage in Ukraine in 2016 is only $192 per month. The country suffered a record-breaking decline in salaries, which dropped by 53% in 2016 as compared to 2013.
- Even in Kyrgyzstan people receive more—$202 monthly on average.
- Wages in Moldova are also higher ($242) though they used to be lower in the past.
- In Belarus people receive about $348 per month.
- In Armenia people started to earn more in 2016 as compared to 2013: They get paid on average around $386 per month, which is an 8% increase.
- Kazakhstan—$407.
- In Russia people’s earnings dropped by 41% and reached $556 per month. However, it is the highest amount among the former USSR states. So, Russian women earn more than other ladies of the former Soviet Union.
Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan do not publish official statistics on how much their citizens earn, Finance.ua reports. It’s unlikely to be higher than in Kazakhstan.
Most experts and politicians believe that Ukraine needs to attract more investment to be able to raise wages. Right now the wages and prices there are so low that it became the #1 location for expats seeking value for money. It is also the cheapest tourist destination in Europe.
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Well, as the initial question is what countries from the former USSR get biggest salaries, I am not sure why Baltic countries are not included here. Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) are getting more than Russia (Estonia has more than double) as they are now part of European Union. So the right answer is get rid of Russia Joking as I know Elena is Russian and want to make her suffer. In the former USSR republics, the core problems remain endemic corruption and lack of reforms. But Ukraine and Moldova have chances as well: if they join European… Read more »
You need to watch that you can buy on the size of the consumer basket. How many market baskets in your salary?? I have 3. What are the benefits included in the consumer basket? Including Moldova and the Baltic States. And you will see the standard of living. Russia is building a closed economy and with key partners has its equivalent of the currency: Turkey, China. Our income is not the equivalent of the dollar, but a normal standard of living..
))))))))Interestingly, several American male …and also in Europe, especially the Italians (though they have radio and TV included the whole day) they say, well, you came to herself…..or I would love to have met. But with such a difference in income I can in 100 years, save up and he is waiting for! As the planned meeting of A. Lincoln and J. Carter, sorry…now! in this world!! and not after death..
In my view, it is not surprising that the highest salaries among the former USSR countries are in Russia, because it played a leading role in the Soviet Union and it is the biggest country in the world. The average salary in Baltic countries is possibly higher than in Russia, but they were not included here because they joined to the European Union. Some former USSR countries, such as Moldova and Ukraine suffer from decrease of wages. I’d like to say that the main cause of this decrease is corruption in government and at the local level.