Russia did not manage to increase salaries in Crimea to all-Russian level in 10 years of occupation

The salaries of the residents of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, annexed by Russia in 2014, are at least a quarter less than that of an average Russian, despite annual wage increases during the 10 years of occupation.

Source: research of the Verstka media outlet, The Moscow Times

Details: Research shows that a year before the annexation an average resident of Crimea earned approximately 11,300 roubles (about $370) which accounted for 87% of the average amount in Ukraine.

"Since 2014 the Russian Federal State Statistics Service documented the rise in salaries, but the average salary in Crimea was no higher than 70% of the average index in Russia. Last year an average salary in Crimea was RUB 46,800 (about $620) while this index was RUB 73,700 (about $980) in Russia.

The situation is similar in the city of Sevastopol. In 2013, the average wage there was 95% of the average wage in Ukraine; at the moment, the maximal index Russia managed to achieve is 73% from the Russian average index," the statement reads.

With that the inflation is increasing in the annexed region.

The State Statistics Service of Ukraine documented the inflation of 0.5% in Crimea and 0.2% in Sevastopol in 2013.

A year later, due to the economic crisis after the annexation, inflation rose to 42.5% and 36.1%, respectively.

In 2017, the situation levelled off to 1.4% and 3.8%, but the full-scale war provoked a jump to 13.2% and 12.1%, the newspaper notes. At present, inflation in occupied Crimea is comparable to the average rate in Russia.

The study emphasises that annexed Crimea remains a subsidised "region of the Russian Federation" and can cover only about a quarter of its budget, while Sevastopol can cover a third.

Under the Ukrainian government, Crimea could have covered 40% of the budget on its own, the study says.

Over the 10 years of occupation, Russian subsidies to the region have also increased. While in 2014 Crimea received RUB 105.3 billion [roughly US$2.9 billion] and Sevastopol RUB 19.5 billion [roughly US$0.5 billion], in 2024 these amounts reached RUB 130.6 billion [roughly US$1.4 billion] and RUB 32.1 billion [roughly US$0.3 billion].

The study also emphasises that since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the number of repressions in annexed Crimea has almost doubled.

Thus, judges considered more than 170 criminal cases under repressive articles in Crimea, 40% of which were filed in the last two years.

Most often, residents of annexed Crimea were punished for so-called "military news fakes", espionage, calls for extremist action and treason.

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