What happened
Tucker Carlson has praised Vladimir Putin's Russia, claiming it has a larger economy than Britain and is thriving under Putin's leadership. However, according to various economic and social indicators, Russia's economy and standard of living are significantly lower than those of Western European nations.
Russia's nominal GDP is around $2.66 trillion, compared to Britain's $4.3 trillion, despite having twice the population and vast natural resources. The standard of living in Russia is also well below that of Western European nations, with the average Russian home having less than 600 square feet of living space and many households lacking basic amenities such as indoor plumbing and sewage systems.
Russia ranks 64th on the Human Development Index, behind countries such as Romania, Turkey, and Kazakhstan. The country also has significant social and health issues, including low life expectancy, high abortion and divorce rates, and a high incidence of alcoholism and suicide.
Carlson's defenders argue that adjusting for the cost of living, Russia's economy ranks highly globally. However, this argument is disputed, as the cost of living in Russia is indeed lower, but this does not necessarily mean that the standard of living is higher.
Overall, the data suggests that Russia is not thriving economically or socially, and that Carlson's praise of Putin's leadership is not supported by the facts.
