Societal impoverishment: The challenge for Russian social policy

The economic and social reforms instigated in the Russian Federation since 1991 have been widely depicted as a success or as setting the framework for success. This article draws on various official and unofficial data to show the depths of poverty, inequality and distress that have been involved including evidence on declining life expectancy, rising morbidity, the erosion of schooling, lack of social protection and mass unemployment The article is intended to show that nobody could call, or should be allowed to call, the reform a success. There should be much greater concern internationally and nationally to give social protection a greater priority and to restructure social policy so as to address the societal impoverishment that has occurred.