The report's authors took the base levels of comparison for 100% as the pre-reform 1990 GDP level. In comparison, 2003 GDP reached 79.4%, whereas in 1993 the figure was 74.2%. The lowest level of GDP since the start of reforms came in 1998 and was 57.5% against 1990.
Real household incomes showed similar dynamics, though a year behind. In 2003, they reached 60.8% of the 1990 level, whereas in 1994 the figure was 60.1%. The minimum of 39.8% was established in 1999.
The report points to the positive GDP dynamics over the last three years. If between 1996 and 1999, GDP fell by an average of 0.4% per a year, then from 2000 to 2003, it grew by an average of 6.8%.
Real household incomes between 1996 and 1999 fell by an average of 5.8%, whereas from 2000 to 2003, the trend was positive: annual growth was 11.3%.
Unemployment in the country, according to government statistics, has changed: in 1996-1999 the number of people seeking work grew by an annual average of 32.6%; since 2000, the annual average of those out of work has fallen by 29.4%.
The number of people living below the subsistence minimum was 32.3 million (22% of the overall population) in 1996, 41.9 million (28.9%) in 2000 and 29 million (20.4%) at the start of this year.
Inflation has gradually fallen in the last three years. In December 2000, it stood at 20.2%, in December 2001 18.6%, while for December 2002 and 2003, the figure was 15.1% and 12%, respectively.
In 1997, 1998 and 1999, inflation stood as 21.8%, 84.4% and 36.5%, respectively.
The monetarization of the Russian economy, which means the use of cash, checks and small investments in GDP stood at 14.4% in 1997, 11.4% in 1999, and 15.1% in 2002 and 8.8% in 2003.
