Seven Telling Statistics from Russia

Paul Goble

            Staunton, April 30 – Often statistics have to be analyzed to make a point. But sometimes they are so telling that no further explication is needed. So it is with seven statistics that have appeared in and about Russia over the last few days. They include the following:

·         Of the millions of Soviet citizens who fought in World War II, only 74,000 remain alive in the Russian Federation (newsland.com/community/4765/content/v-rossii-ostalos-74-tys-veteranov-i-uchastnikov-velikoi-otechestvennoi/6732575).

·         Russia now has a minimum of 230 people incarcerated who are recognized by rights groups and governments as political prisoners (m.gordonua.com/news/worldnews/chislo-politzaklyuchennyh-v-rossii-prevysilo-230-chelovek-doklad-926428.html).

·         Since 1992, more than 22 million Russians have been convicted of crimes (newsland.com/community/129/content/v-period-s-1992-po-2019-godu-v-rossii-osuzhdeno-bolee-22-000-000-chelovek/6732463).

·         Only three percent of Russians are entrepreneurs, a far lower share than in most other countries (thebell.io/v-rossii-3-predprinimatelej-eto-namnogo-menshe-chem-v-mire/).

·         Seven thousand Russian dollar millionaires have emigrated over the last several years (lenta.ru/news/2019/04/30/billionaires/).

·         Only half of Russians plan to mark May Day even though 80 percent commemorated Easter in one way or another (politikus.ru/v-rossii/118800-vciom-lish-polovina-rossiyan-sobirayutsya-otmechat-1-maya.html).

·         Only 4.3 million Russians attended religious services on Easter, approximately three percent of the country’s population (kommersant.ru/doc/3959973).