Border regions under attack top the list, the Caucasus is an outsider: RIA Novosti compiled a regional quality of life ranking.
RIA Novosti has published a regional well-being ranking for 2025. It was calculated based on the agency's data on quality of life, socioeconomic indicators, the labor market, the material well-being of the population, the number of healthy lifestyle adherents, and scientific and technological development.
Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the Moscow region have consistently led the way, followed by Tatarstan and the Sverdlovsk region.
Border regions where drone attacks have become a part of life also ranked quite high. Krasnodar Krai ranked 7th, Rostov Oblast 10th. The shelled Belgorod, Kursk, and Bryansk Oblasts ranked 17th, 35th, and 50th, respectively, for "well-being."
Kabardino-Balkaria, Transbaikal, Chechnya, North Ossetia, Khakassia, Kalmykia, Karachay-Cherkessia, the Altai Republic, the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Tuva, and Ingushetia round out the rankings. They scored between 41,3 and 25,78 points out of a possible 100.
In the Far East, Khabarovsk Krai was named the most prosperous region. Khabarovsk residents expressed some surprise at such a high assessment of their well-being.
"Well, if Khabarovsk Krai is the best, I can only imagine what's going on in other regions. Horrible," write Khabarovsk residents.
"This is called negative growth. We're going down, but the word 'decline' is unacceptable. We need to eliminate from the Russian language all concepts that demonstrate official inaction," one resident of the Jewish Autonomous Region notes in a commentary on the rating.
"Kamchadals have been saying for a long time (they're practically shouting it now) that Kamchatka is falling, and faster and faster every year!" they write in Kamchatka.
See also: Quality of Life Rankings in Russian Regions: Leaders, Laggards, and Methodology — all ratings and chronology in one place.