Belstat photo
MINSK, 17 April (BelTA) – Belarus currently has the lowest share of low-income population in the entire history of observations, Chairperson of the National Statistical Committee of Belarus (Belstat) Inna Medvedeva said at a seminar and meeting of the Expert Group on Measuring Poverty and Inequality in Rome, BelTA learned from the Belstat press service.
The head of Belstat shared with the international community Belarus’ experience in reducing the negative impact of inflation on citizens’ well-being. She emphasized that improving the population’s welfare is a key priority of the state in the Republic of Belarus. “The main measures to mitigate the impact of inflation on living standards include flexible regulation of prices for socially important goods, restraining the growth of mandatory payments for housing, utilities and transport services, and a policy of income growth outpacing inflation,” Inna Medvedeva noted.
According to her, when there is a sharp rise in prices for everyday goods, the state promptly introduces necessary measures for a specific list of essential items: from monitoring to setting maximum markups and approving price increases. “The main goal of such regulation is to prevent unjustified price hikes in stores, which helps minimize the impact of external and internal price shocks and smooth out sharp fluctuations in market conditions. To assess the effectiveness of price containment for everyday goods, Belstat calculates an additional inflation indicator: the consumer price index for regulated goods,” Inna Medvedeva explained.
She also noted that Belstat’s role is not limited to calculating inflation indicators: Belarusian statisticians are also participants in the regulatory process. “Our registrars, in addition to recording prices, monitor changes in product assortments on store shelves. If a particular item is missing at the time of registration, the relevant state authority is promptly informed. This approach helps maintain the availability of goods for all population groups,” she said.
Another important area of protecting the well-being of Belarusian citizens from inflation is smoothing the effects of rising utility tariffs. “Mitigating the impact of higher utility prices in Belarus is addressed in various ways: tariffs increase gradually, without sharp jumps, once or twice a year, and certain categories of citizens receive benefits. This comprehensive approach has ensured a stable level of household spending on housing and utilities. For example, in 2022-2025, the share of such expenses in total consumer spending averaged no more than 10% nationwide. At the same time, the share of spending specifically on utilities and electricity decreased by 0.5 percentage points, and among low-income households the reduction reached 1.1 percentage points. Similar approaches are used when increasing public transport fares and fuel prices,” the Belstat chairperson stated.
Inflation smoothing in Belarus allows households to plan their budgets with confidence. “Over the past four years, the share of consumption expenditures in household budgets has been decreasing, while the share of spending on deposits and savings has been steadily growing, improving their financial position and future living standards,” Inna Medvedeva emphasized. She also noted that, according to 2025 data, three-quarters of households in the country reported having savings.
The Belstat chairperson emphasized that the social orientation of state policy and the mechanisms developed for its implementation have allowed Belarus, over the years of its sovereignty, to reduce the share of the low-income population more than tenfold to the lowest level in the entire history of observations. “In 2025, it amounted to 3.4%,” Inna Medvedeva summarized.
At the seminar on measuring poverty and inequality, Inna Konoshonok, head of the Main Directorate of Statistics on Living Standards and Household Surveys at Belstat, delivered a presentation titled “The National Multidimensional Poverty Index as a New Tool for Assessing Quality of Life in Belarus”. She presented to participants the design and structure of the National Multidimensional Poverty Index [NMPI] developed by Belstat, taking into account the country’s development specifics. She also noted that Belstat has already begun developing a national well-being index. “While the NMPI is aimed at measuring poverty, the national well‑being index will provide an aggregated assessment of the population’s living standards not from the perspective of poverty, but from the perspective of well-being. It may serve as one of the tools reflecting the comprehensive implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the National Sustainable Development Strategy of the Republic of Belarus,” Inna Konoshonok explained.
The participation of Belarusian representatives in international seminars and meetings underscores the Republic of Belarus’ commitment to sharing experience and strengthening international cooperation in statistics and social policy.
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