As of the end of May, arrears in wages paid from the federal budget… (млн · млрд · долг)
As of the end of May, arrears in wages paid from the federal budget totaled 15.5 million rubles (an increase of 59.6% compared to the previous month), while arrears from regional budgets amounted to 7.9 million rubles (a tenfold decrease), and arrears from local budgets were 595.1 million rubles (a decrease of 14.9%).
Consensus
- Russia's external state debt fell to $54.9 billion in May 2026
- This was the lowest level since August 2025
- The external debt-to-GDP ratio was reported as 16.4% by President Putin
- Salary arrears increased by 2.8% to 2.96 billion rubles in May 2026
Points of divergence
- The external debt was $53.9 billion in August 2025, which is the previous lowest point — vesti
- Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov stated that Russia will soon pay off its external debt — vesti
- Salary arrears were primarily due to lack of funds at enterprises — interfax
- The largest portion of salary arrears was in processing industries, construction, and energy sectors — interfax
Coverage (2 sources)
- Russia's external debt reaches minimum level since August 2025 — Вести
- Rosstat notes a 2.8% increase in wage arrears in May, reaching 2.96 billion rubles — Интерфакс