did you see the dollar sign? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I suggest you move to hongkong. you can be the most beautiful person there. Mr hongkong 2016. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
in fact, it is all about the house. in EU/US, people are "rich", in fact an average person's house is 95% or more of his/her net worth.
I'd guess that is the case for most countries. We spend so much of our lives paying for a home because for most it is the largest investment/purchase we will ever make. So once it is paid for it becomes our largest source of collateral. Average people wouldn't normally pay the house off and then go on to larger investments worth amounts exceeding the value of their home, with the exception of investment in 401k or other retirement accounts during their working years.
Amid soaring inflation, the average monthly salary across Russia shrank to 31,200 rubles ($500) in January, Gazeta.ru reported Tuesday citing the Economic Development Ministry. The current average represents an 8 percent decrease from the same month last year in ruble terms, and a nearly 50 percent plunge in dollar terms as a result of a severe economic downturn that has rapidly devalued Russia's national currency. Spending on food is expected to account for 50 to 55 percent of household income by the end of this year, business newspaper Vedomosti reported Monday. Food prices surged 22 percent in February alone, though that figure is expected to stabilize in coming months, Vedomosti said, citing VTB analysts. http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russians-average-monthly-salary-falls-to-500-as-food-prices-skyrocket/516947.html
The average monthly salary is only $500 but there are rich folks in Russia who amassed massive fortunes, known as the oligarchs. The Soviet Union was an empire which exploited subject peoples in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and average Russians were much wealthier during the Soviet era than they were in the 1990s. The Russian economy was booming under Putin but Western sanctions over Ukraine disrupted economic activities in Russia. For the Russian economy to grow substantially in the near future, Russia needs to expand its trade relations with its Asian neighbours and Japan is ready to sign a peace treaty with Russia in exchange for the two tiny islands located just north of the country.
If Russia wants to a better future, it should have a better relationship with EU, and keep distance with east asia countries. it is also true for EU and north America, and NZ. They should have a Pan Europe union, which include: EU, Russia, Ukraine, North America, NZ.
What's that? Russians were much wealthier becase they exploited peoples in Eastern Europe and Central Asia? How much they were wealthier? Statistics on consumer goods says average Russian was much poorer in USSR. Just one example, the quantity of cars was in USSR about 45 per 1000 persons, in Russia - about 300 per 1000. How that confirms your idea about wealthy Russians in USSR? And all these peoples in Eastern Europe and Central Asia - they must be much wealthier now, as they are free? But when I look at GDP per capita for the world I see Russia is much wealthier than any ex-Soviet country except for three Baltic states. Why?
