Belarusians have never lived as richly as they do now. But there's an important nuance

Illustrative photo. Photo: AP / Pavel Bednyakov

Wages remain at their maximum level

Historically, the maximum wage in Belarus was recorded in December 2025, when the average net salary was about 2677 rubles nationwide and about 3690 rubles in Minsk. However, December wages are traditionally the highest due to annual bonuses and premiums.

April's net wage was 2539.5 rubles on average across the country and 3345 rubles in Minsk. This is about $887 and $1169 net, respectively.

The fact that the real wages of Belarusians have indeed grown in recent years is undeniable.

What caused such growth and why it is already almost exhausted is also important, but this does not negate the fact that wages are indeed much higher now than, for example, five and especially ten years ago.

When else were wages at their peak?

Previously, one of the peak periods for wages was the late 2000s, when wages grew significantly in 2007-2008, but on the night of January 1, 2009, a sudden 20% devaluation of the Belarusian ruble occurred.

The next "golden" period lasted only a few months from late 2010 to spring 2011, after which a powerful financial crisis began in Belarus, and the ruble depreciated almost threefold.

Subsequently, the peak period was from late 2012 to the first half of 2014.

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The current wave began in 2024, and another historical maximum was reached in 2025.

Important nuances

BEROC expert Dzmitry Kruk confirms that economically, Belarusians are now living better than ever before, but there are important nuances.

“If we look at the indicators of real wages in Belarusian rubles, adjusted for inflation, we will undoubtedly see that the historical peak was reached as early as the fourth quarter of 2025.

In the first quarter of 2026, even considering all seasonal adjustments, we remained at that peak level,” the economist explains.

In dollar terms, wages are also at their peak, and thanks to the strengthening of the ruble, they even increased in April, despite a fall in ruble terms.

Is the dollar figure not the most important?

However, although the dollar indicator traditionally remains important for Belarusians and is identified with purchasing power, Kruk notes that this can sometimes be misleading. In the current situation, high dollar wages simultaneously correspond to high real wages, but prices for many goods and services do not directly depend on the exchange rate.

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At the same time, some imported goods and foreign trips become more affordable for Belarusians with the strengthening of the ruble.

“Therefore, income in dollar terms is rather a secondary informative indicator, but, undoubtedly, for many, it is perceived as more important than real wages,” explains the economist, adding that it is largely through the prism of the dollar that a certain consumer optimism is observed in Belarus.

Against the backdrop of neighbors, the picture is different

At the same time, the economist notes that for a relevant assessment of welfare growth, it is not enough to compare current Belarusian wages with previous wages in Belarus.

“We are not the only country in the world, so it must be taken into account that other countries are also developing. Accordingly, the best and most informative indicator is a relative comparison of wages, adjusted for price levels, with more or less comparable countries,” says Kruk, citing neighboring Poland and Lithuania as examples.

The expert says he traditionally compares Belarus with Poland, as these are two countries close both geographically and in terms of human capital, which were roughly at the same level in the early 1990s.

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Warsaw. Photo: Jacek Kadaj/Getty Images

“And if we look here, a completely different picture emerges. Belarus [in terms of the welfare gap] is now close to the point where one could say we have almost never lived this poorly, except for 1995-1996.

That is, even despite seemingly quite high real and dollar wages, by global standards, these are not high indicators,” explains the economist.

Our development against the backdrop of other countries is slow.

“If a hypothetical doctor or builder compares their salary, they will do so not by looking at how much they earned 5-10-15 years ago, but how much the same specialist earns in neighboring countries now.

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Illustrative photo. Photo: lookby.media

And if we lag behind on this indicator, it, accordingly, leads to labor migration and a host of other negative consequences,” the economist provides an example.

Therefore, the current level of well-being, according to Kruk, is “very far from what it could have been.”

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