The “zerkalo.io” portal looked at the statistical data: it turned out that the dictator embellished the situation. And if we compare the standard of living of Belarusians and neighboring “unfriendly” countries, the picture would look even sadder.
A. Lukashenko claims that the real income of the country’s population has increased tenfold since the mid-1990s. And really?
In his monologue, the dictator once again returned to the difficult times when the country began its independent development and emphasized that “we have never lived as well as now.” In the same monologue, the dictator admitted that the standard of living of Belarusians could be higher: “Of course, it could be better. But we don’t have what, for example, the Emirates and Russia have.”
However, the dictator significantly overestimated the growth of real money income, saying that it had increased tenfold since the mid-1990s. This is refuted by official statistics: according to the Research Institute of the Ministry of Economy of Belarus, real monetary income since 1992 increased by 5.5 times.
If Lukashenko meant real wages (although he said it was “income”), his words were a little closer to the truth: according to the same research center, real wages grew by an average of 6.9 times during the same period.
In terms of average wages in the context of the 1990s, Belarusians look pretty good. Prime Minister Romanas Holovchenko has stated that the average wage in 2023 in the first quarter was the equivalent of 627 US dollars – “this is a record of the last ten years”. At the same time, this means that reaching the 2013 result failed.
In March of this year, the average wage rose to 2,161.1 rubles in March of this year, or to 669 US dollars according to the latest 2024. monthly average official rate of the National Bank.
This is a record indicator. However, it is necessary to take into account the devaluation on the horizon, which experts and the National Bank warn about. Inflation is already quite high, and experts predict a price jump. Hence, devaluation and inflation can “eat up” part of the income of Belarusians, and then the picture will not be so attractive.
Undoubtedly, Belarusians live much better today than in the 1990s. However, three decades have passed since then – it would be strange if the situation seemed the opposite. Such comparisons with the mid-1990s should take into account the low base effect, where solid growth rates are explained by a low starting point.
It would be much more difficult for the authorities and Lukashenko to boast about the achievements of the last ten years, which can be safely described as stagnation. And the statements about the economic achievements of the last five years, when the country was among those sanctioned due to the actions of the officials, would seem even less impressive.
A.Lukashenka is happy that Belarus has done without reforms, as was the case in the West. It is good that Belarus was not satisfied with liberal reforms, while “revolutionary transformations” were avoided. A.Lukashenka explained that although the sanctions restricted economic growth, even without them, if anyone had a chance to get rich, it was only a few Belarusians.
What has changed in Belarus in the same 30 years, compared to its Western neighbors? “In short,” as “zerkalo.io” writes, “our country’s indicators are not very good.”
In the early 1990s, as economists have repeatedly said, Belarus and Poland were roughly on the same level in many economic indicators.
For example, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita is one of the main criteria reflecting the level of economic activity and standard of living. Thus, according to the World Bank, in 2022 In Belarus, this indicator was 7,888.3 dollars, in Poland – 18,688 thousand. dollars, in Lithuania – 25,064.8 dollars. This means that in these Western neighbors it is 2.4 and more than three times higher than in Belarus, respectively.
in 1991 the same indicator was 5,335.6 US dollars in Belarus, 5,920.7 US dollars in Poland (according to “zerkalo.io”, the World Bank does not have data on Lithuania for that year). This means that from then until 2022 GDP per inhabitant of Belarus increased 4.2 times, and that of Poles – 8.6 times.
As indicated above, the average salary in Belarus is 2161.1 Belarusian rubles. At the same time, in neighboring Poland, it reached 8,409 zlotys or 6,739 Belarusian rubles in March. And in Lithuania at the end of last year, it reached 2110 euros (7309 Belarusian rubles). All amounts are before taxes.
You can compare what the average wage gap was in 2015. So in Lithuania in 2015 In the IV quarter, it was 756.9 euros (if we calculate according to the rate of the National Bank on December 31, 2015 and convert into denominated rubles, it will be 1,536.5 rubles). Hence, since then, the average salary of Lithuanians has increased almost 2.8 times.
in Poland in 2015 the average wage was 3,899.78 zlotys (1,868.4 rubles). Since then, it has grown almost 2.2 times. In Belarus, after recalculation at today’s exchange rate, in 2015 wages were 671.5 rubles. The growth of net wages, compared to the national currency of Belarus, is higher than that of its neighbors – 3.2 times.
However, it is important to understand that purchasing power is important to consider when comparing average wages.
A.Lukashenka boasted in the National Assembly that there is no excessive stratification between the poor and the rich in Belarus, hinting at his merits for such achievements:
“We did our best to avoid excessive stratification into poor and rich.” Even if not everyone understands it, not everyone agrees with it, we did what we promised people. As we could and as we could. And let others do better after us.”
Here, speaking about the relatively small stratification of society, A. Lukashenko spoke the truth. This is confirmed by World Bank statistics. For example, the Gini index, which shows the degree of social stratification, in 2020 In Belarus, it was lower than in its two western neighbors: in Belarus – 24.4 percent, in Poland – 28.5 percent, in Lithuania – 36 percent.
Tags: bragging Belarusians live Lukashenka lied exact numbers tarnished fairy tales
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