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Russia’s healthcare and education sectors have lost out on more than a trillion rubles in funding since start of full-scale war, investigation finds
An investigation by Novaya Gazeta Europe estimates that Russia’s healthcare and education sectors have received at least one trillion rubles less in state funding than they would have if spending had kept pace with inflation since the full-scale war against Ukraine began. The shortfall matters as the country’s social services face increasing cuts and closures.
The estimated gap is 728 billion rubles for healthcare and 322 billion for education. Reporters identified more than 800 cases of staff cuts or institution closures in the social sphere since 2021, with over a quarter occurring in 2026. The investigation says sharp spending cuts began in 2025, after the wartime economic boom of 2023–2024 ended, and affected both poorer regions and industrial and resource-rich areas.
In short
- Healthcare and education fell short by more than one trillion rubles.
- Healthcare accounted for 728 billion rubles of the estimated gap.
- Social-sector cuts and closures rose sharply in 2026.
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The case for
A government facing a prolonged war and tighter public finances may argue that it must prioritise urgent national security needs and manage spending within available resources. Comparing budgets with inflation-adjusted past spending does not by itself show that services received too little to meet needs, and officials may see targeted efficiencies or local restructuring as ways to preserve essential provision.
The case against
Healthcare and education underpin public welfare and long-term economic capacity, so allowing their funding to fall behind inflation risks leaving services unable to keep pace with costs and demand. The reported shortfall, alongside hundreds of staff cuts and closures, supports concern that the burden of wartime spending and economic pressures is being borne by patients, pupils and communities.