British media: At the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, the Russian economy experienced a brief boom due to a surge in military spending, but showed clear signs of stagnation in 2026. The International Monetary Fund forecasts that Russia's economic growth rate will be only 0.6% in 2025 and 0.8% in 2026, far lower than Western countries.
The main reason for the stagnation of the Russian economy is the sharp decline in oil revenue. In 2022, oil taxes accounted for 40% of the federal budget, but dropped to 25% in 2025, and Western sanctions have limited its energy exports.
In addition, Russia's population has been continuously declining since 2019, from 145.5 million to 143.5 million in 2024, leading to a labor shortage. To compensate for the fiscal deficit, Russia significantly increased taxes. In 2025, corporate tax rose from 20% to 25%, and in 2026, value-added tax increased from 20% to 22%.
Despite this, experts believe that Russia can still maintain war expenditures in the short term, but in the long run, economic difficulties may affect its ability to sustain the war.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1856385617164291/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.