Declines in Self-Reported Disability in the Russian Federation: Fewer but Further Marginalized?

Cynthia Buckley, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Disability rates in the Russian Federation appear to have fallen markedly. How reliable are the measures used to document this trend? Which social groups benefit most from Russia’s disability decline? How have changes in prevalence influenced the social risks associated with disability? Assessing four (cross sectional) waves of the European Social Survey for the Russian Federation (2006-2012), I find that both severe and moderate levels of self-reported disability have declined markedly (by approximately 24% and 45% respectively). Proportionate declines are larger for females than males. Male self-reported disabilities falls across age groups, while female declines are concentrated in older age groups. Logistic regression models indicate intensifying odds of social isolation, economic difficulties and distrust in health care related institutions among the disabled. Results support analyses pointing to health stabilization, and even improvement, in Russia while highlighting the intensifying marginalization among the remaining disabled.