Vladimir Putin sums up results of 2024

Russian President Vladimir Putin has started the Q&A session along with his annual press conference with journalists at Gostiny Dvor at 12:11 p.m. Moscow time.

The head of state noted that Russia's GDP growth by the end of the year may reach 4%.

"This year it will be 3.9%, and maybe even 4%, we'll have to see. This means that in two years our economic growth was about 8%," Putin said.

The head of state noted the unemployment rate in Russia is at a record low level of 2.3%.

"One of such serious indicators for all countries of the world, for all economies, is the unemployment rate. It is at a record low of 2.3%," Putin said.

He noted that Russia is in the first place in Europe by the economic volume and to the fourth place globally by the purchasing power parity.

"We outpaced Germany as early as in the last year and left Japan behind this year. However, this is not an indicator for us to ‘fall asleep’ and settle...If the Euro zone ‘fell asleep,’ then there are other centers of global development, they are also progressing," Putin said.

According to the Russian leader, real incomes of Russian people have grown.

"Salaries have grown by 9% in real terms. And the disposable income of the population has also grown. So, overall, this situation is stable," Putin said.

Speaking about the growth of Russia's economy, the Russian leader said to a large extent this is the result of strengthening sovereignty.

"This is especially important for our country, because with the loss of sovereignty, we lose statehood. This is the most important thing. And the strengthening of sovereignty is also the result of economic growth," he noted.

In the run-up to the "Direct Line with President Vladimir Putin", the number of appeals exceeded 2 million by the start of the program.

It's the third time when the Russian President holds his annual end-of-year press conference combined with the annual "Direct Line" question-and-answer session (2020 and 2022).