OREANDA-NEWS   Incomes of people with minimum earnings in Russia have increased by 27.8 percent this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

He added that the poverty rate in the third quarter decreased to 10.5 percent. "When we discussed the economic situation in the world, we set two main goals for the current year — to achieve a reduction in poverty and inequality and to continue the development policy," Putin said.

He also said that by the end of 2022, Russia's GDP will decrease by about 2.5 percent. In addition, the head of state noted that the ruble has become one of the strongest currencies in the world this year. He linked the strengthening, among other things, with the new scheme of payments for gas.

In 2022, the real incomes of Russians will fall by 6.8 percent, and in 2023 they will grow by 1.3 percent relative to a new level, the Ministry of Finance predicts. Real wages of the population will decrease by 3.8 percent in 2022 and will increase by 0.8 percent in 2023.