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GREAT RUSSIA

Numbers & rankings

Measured, not excluded

Many Western rankings stopped measuring Russia after 2022. Statistics did not. Here is what the data says - with every source linked.

Macro

The economy

Economy by purchasing power parity
#4in the worldSource: IMF WEO, 2025
Size of the economy
$7.2TGDP at purchasing power paritySource: IMF WEO, 2025
Growth despite pressure
+4.1% / +4.9%real GDP growth, 2023 / 2024Source: Rosstat, 2023-2024
General government debt
17%of GDP vs 124% in the USSource: IMF WEO, 2025
Bank of Russia reserves
$753Binternational reservesSource: Bank of Russia, Sep 2026
Unemployment rate
2.3%ILO methodologySource: Rosstat, Jul 2026
Consumer market
₽61Tretail trade turnoverSource: Rosstat, 2025
Population
146Mpeople, 75% urbanSource: Rosstat, 2025

Balance sheet

One of the lowest debt loads among large economies

General government gross debt% of GDP, 2025
  • Japan206.5%
  • USA123.9%
  • China99.2%
  • India84.1%
  • Germany62.9%
  • Russia17.2%

Source: IMF World Economic Outlook, April 2026

Valuation

Earnings are cheap in Moscow

Forward price-to-earnings ratiotimes earnings
  • USA20.1x
  • India19.9x
  • Saudi Arabia13.8x
  • China10.8x
  • Emerging markets10.1x
  • Russia4.2x

Source: MSCI factsheets, 31 Aug 2026; Russia - T-Investments, Mar 2026

Talent & technology

People and digital infrastructure

Education
64%of adults 25+ hold tertiary education (US: 50%)Source: World Bank / UNESCO, 2021
Engineers
241Kengineering graduates a yearSource: HSE ISSEK, 2025
IT talent
1.87Mpeople employed in IT (+20% in a year)Source: Government of Russia, 2025
Payments
88%of retail payments are cashlessSource: Bank of Russia, 2025
Instant payments
18.3Binstant payments via SBP in a yearSource: Bank of Russia, 2025
Starting a business
3 daysto register a company online, no state feeSource: Federal Tax Service, 2026
Connectivity
$0.25per GB of mobile data (global avg $2.61)Source: Cable.co.uk, 2023
Domestic investor base
42.5Mretail investors at Moscow ExchangeSource: Moscow Exchange, Aug 2026

Resources

Natural wealth

Territory
17.1M km²the largest country on Earth - 11 time zonesSource: World Bank, 2023
Natural gas
#1proved natural gas reservesSource: OPEC ASB via US EIA, 2024
Forests
#1forest area - about a fifth of the world's forestsSource: FAO FRA 2025, 2025
Water resources
#2renewable freshwater resources, 4,312 km³Source: World Bank / FAO, 2022
Food exports
#1wheat exporter - 48 Mt in 2025/26Source: USDA FAS, 2025/26
Palladium
44%of world palladium - #1 producerSource: USGS, 2025
Diamonds
#1gem diamonds by volume and by reservesSource: USGS, 2025
Gold
#2gold producer and gold reservesSource: USGS, 2025

Rankings

Russia in international rankings

RankingPublisherRussiaYearStatus
GDP by purchasing power parityIMF#42025Active
International Comparison ProgramWorld Bank#4 (#1 in Europe)2021Active
Doing BusinessWorld Bank#28 of 1902020Discontinued in 2021 after a data-integrity review
Global Competitiveness IndexWorld Economic Forum#43 of 1412019Discontinued
World Competitiveness RankingIMD#45 of 642021Russia excluded since 2022
Sovereign credit ratingsS&P, Moody's, FitchCut to junk, then withdrawn2022Withdrawn in 2022 after EU rules barred rating Russian entities
Global Innovation IndexWIPO#60 of 1392025Active
Index of Economic FreedomHeritage Foundation#1452026Active, survey- and policy-based
Country risk classificationOECDCategory 7 of 72024Active
E-Government Development IndexUN DESAVery high group2024Active
Proved natural gas reservesOPEC / EIA#12024Active
Wheat exportsUSDA#12025/26Active

Survey-based indicators such as 'rule of law' produce the widest gaps in how Russia is assessed. Statistical indicators are more stable. All sources are listed in our research file.

Great Russia Index

An open index for the Global South

Eight factors, open data from international organisations, published weights and sensitivity tests - with a penalty for capital restrictions, including Russia's own.

  • 0120%

    Market scale and growth

    GDP (PPP), growth outlook, population, income.

  • 0215%

    Macro-financial stability

    Debt, budget balance, current account, reserves, inflation.

  • 0315%

    Human capital

    STEM graduates, tertiary education, researchers.

  • 0412%

    Resources and energy cost

    Energy output per capita, power prices, food self-sufficiency.

  • 0510%

    Infrastructure and digital

    E-government, connectivity, logistics performance.

  • 0610%

    Cost of doing business

    Tax rates, labour cost vs productivity, cost of living.

  • 0710%

    Capital mobility (with penalty)

    Capital account openness, FDI restrictions, arbitration enforcement.

  • 088%

    Global South connectivity

    Trade with BRICS+, national-currency settlements, investment treaties.

Want the full dataset?

Leave your contact and we will send the index methodology and the source file when the first edition is published.