Abstract: | Survey data are used to identify different levels of poverty emerging in the adaptation of rural households to the new Russian market economy. Three levels of poverty are described: the absolutely deprived, the deprived and the relatively deprived. Comparisons of the adaptation strategies of these different types of households are made with respect to (a) different sources of income; (b) access to physical capital; (c) household production and sales; (d) subjective quality of life and psychological well-being; and (e) overall income differentiation. Findings include the over-representation of husband and wife families with children and the lower representation of the elderly among the rural poor. |