IMF Working Papers

The Russian State’s Size and its Footprint: Have They Increased?

By Gabriel Di Bella, Oksana Dynnikova, Slavi T Slavov

March 8, 2019

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Gabriel Di Bella, Oksana Dynnikova, and Slavi T Slavov. The Russian State’s Size and its Footprint: Have They Increased?, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2019) accessed November 21, 2024

Disclaimer: IMF Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to encourage debate. The views expressed in IMF Working Papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.

Summary

The short answer: The size of the Russian State has not increased much in the last few years, but its economic footprint remains significant. Concretely, the state's size increased from about 32 percent of GDP in 2012 to 33 percent in 2016, not far from the EBRD's estimate of 35 percent for 2005-10. This is different from the mainstream narrative, which contends that the state's size doubled in the last decade. However, a deep state footprint is reflected in a relatively high state share in formal sector activity (close to 40 percent) and formal sector employment (about 50 percent). The deep footprint is also reflected in market competition and efficiency. Although sectors in which the state is present are more concentrated, concentration is large even in sectors where the state's share is low. This suggests the need to protect and promote competition, in particular in state procurement. Finally, state-owned enterprises' performance appears weaker than that of privately-owned firms, which may be subtracting from growth.

Subject: Competition, Economic sectors, Employment, Expenditure, Financial markets, Labor, Public employment, Public sector, State equity participation, Taxes

Keywords: Competition, Eastern Europe, Employment, Failure result, General government expenditure, Global, Government pension liability, Government policy, Market failure, Overview of State, Private sector, Procurement legislation, Procurement rule, Public employment, Public sector, Russian State, State activity, State equity participation, State failure result, State footprint, State footprint, State procurement, State support, State-Owned Enterprises, State's share, State's size, Total factor productivity growth, Transition Economies, WP

Publication Details

  • Pages:

    29

  • Volume:

    ---

  • DOI:

    ---

  • Issue:

    ---

  • Series:

    Working Paper No. 2019/053

  • Stock No:

    WPIEA2019053

  • ISBN:

    9781498302791

  • ISSN:

    1018-5941

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