State Ownership in the Russian Economy. Part 1. Its Magnitude And Sectoral Distribution

This article analyzes the extent and sectoral distribution of state ownership in the Russian economy. The different legal forms of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Russia are described. Of-ficial data on the evolution of the size of the state sector is provided, where the size is measured by the number of SOEs, their share in employment, fixed assets, investment and industrial production. Shortcomings of the official ownership classification are highlighted. Next, the sectoral distribution of SOEs and the degree of their internationalization is described. Finally, data on the SOEs that are listed on the stock market is presented. It gives a picture of a much stronger involvement of the government in medium and large sized companies than what can be inferred from the official data. In a second part (to be published in the next issue of this journal) the governance problems and performance effects of state ownership are discussed.