Tatyana Ivakhnenko, Research fellow at the Gaidar Institute's Mathematical Modeling of Economic Processes Department, noted in a comment for RBC on the applicability of the “K-shaped” economic model observed in the US to the situation in Russia.
The concept of a “K-shaped economy” describes the divergence in the economic trajectories of different social groups after the crisis. The upper branch of the letter “K” symbolizes the growth in prosperity of high-income groups, whose incomes and assets are increasing, while the lower branch symbolizes stagnation or deterioration in the situation of the middle and lower classes against the backdrop of inflation and a decline in real incomes.
The expert noted that there is no complete coincidence with the American model in the Russian Federation. “The ‘K-shaped economy model’ is partially applicable to Russia, but there is no ‘clear’, mirror-image ‘K’ in the data for all key indicators,” said Tatyana Ivakhnenko.
According to her, a more balanced picture is emerging in the country: “Against the backdrop of growing prosperity and stable spending among the most affluent groups, there is a cooling of mass consumption caused by reduced access to credit and increased savings among most households,” the expert explained.