Nearly 21 Percent Of Russian Population Lives In Poverty: Study

MOSCOW, Sept 8 (AFP) - Nearly 21 percent of the Russian population was living below the poverty threshold in the second quarter of the year compared with 23.5 percent in the same period of 2003, the Russian federal statistics agency reported Wednesday.
It said 29.8 million people, or 20.8 percent of the population, were living without a minimum level of resources in the April to June period. The minimum level of resources for the seccond quarter was an average of 2.363 rubles (81.20 dollars) per person per month.
In another report the agency said the Russian economy grew 7.4 percent in the second quarter compared with the same three months last year.
In the first half of 2004 gross domestic product also expanded 7.4 percent compared with first half 2003. The economy grew 6.2 percent in the second quarter from the first, the agency added.
For all of 2003, GDP grew 7.3 percent.