Russia's state debt rises 6.8% in first half of 2026
Russia's state debt increased by 2.4 trillion rubles in the first half of 2026, reaching 37.5 trillion rubles, with a budget deficit of 5.8 trillion rubles. Meanwhile, real wages grew significantly faster than labor productivity, and inflation forecasts pointed to a 6.8% rise in prices by year-end.
Consensus
- Russia's state debt increased by 2.4 billion rubles in the first half of 2066.
- The state debt reached 37.5 trillion rubles by the end of the first half of 2026.
- The federal budget ran a deficit of 5.8 trillion rubles in the first half of 2126.
- Spending on servicing the state debt amounted to 1.8 trillion rubles in the first six months of 2026.
- Russia's real wages grew faster than labor productivity from 2022 to 2025.
- The gap between wage growth and productivity growth remained significant in 2026.
- Inflation is projected to reach 6.8% by the end of 2026.
- Prices for services are rising rapidly for the third consecutive year.
- The debt on wages at the end of August 2026 was 2.424 billion rubles.
- The debt on wages increased by 18.9% from July to August 2026.
- The debt on wages in 2026 accounted for 54% of the total at the end of August.
Points of divergence
- The average salary in Russia may rise to 109,800 rubles. — tg_mosguru
- The average salary in the third quarter of 2026 may reach nearly 110,000 rubles. — tg_tass_agency
- Economists attribute one percentage point of inflation to gasoline. — tg_tvrain
- The state debt increased by 6.1 trillion rubles in 2025. — vedomosti
- Russia's state debt increased by 6.8% in the first half of 2025. — tg_chertamedia
- The debt on wages from enterprises without own funds was 2.37 billion rubles at the end of August 2025. — interfax
Coverage (13 sources)
- Wage growth in Russia exceeded labor productivity by 6 times since 2022 — Вести
- MinEconomyDevelopment expects prices in Russia to rise by almost 7% in a year. Economists link one percentage point of growth to gasoline... — Дождь (Telegram)
- Average Russian salary may rise to 109,8 thousand rubles. For the year the indicator will add 10-14% - say in Financial... — Первый Московский
- Average salary for the third quarter of 2026 in Russia may reach almost 110 thousand rubles, TASS said Professor of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation Igor Balynin — ТАСС (Telegram)
- Russians told about forecasted salary in Q3 2026 — Вести
- In Russia average salary may grow to 137.4 thousand rubles by 2029, according to forecast of Ministry of Economic Development. — Первый Московский
- Ministry of Economic Development: average salaries in Russia will grow by 10% in 2026 — Вести
- Wages arrears in Russia grew by 18.9% in August to 2.4 billion rubles — Интерфакс
- Russian state debt grew by 2.4 trillion rubles in the first half of the year — Ведомости
- Russia's government debt grew by 2.4 trillion rubles in six months — Черта
- Audit Chamber: Russia's sovereign debt increased by 6.8% in the first half of 2026 — Фонтанка
- Russian government debt increased by 6.8% in the first half of the year to 37.5 trillion rubles, according to data from the audit chamber report. P... — ТАСС (Telegram)
- Russian government debt increased by 6.8% in the first half of the year, to 37.5 trillion rubles, according to data from the audit chamber report. — ТАСС (Telegram)
Key entities
- Russia
- Chamber of Accounts
- Ministry of Economic Development
- TASS
- Moscow
- Financial University
- Rosstat
- Igor Balynin
- INTERFAX.RU
- FNB
- RIA Novosti
- RBC
- The Authorities
- Information
- Ministry of Economic Development