Originally published in 1992, this book provides a detailed analysis of the economics of the Soviet urban household sector during the 1970s. It contains eight studies covering the size and distribution of incomes and wealth, the incidence and causes of poverty, the labour supply of women, division of labour among household members, and saving behaviour. Ofer and Vinokur conclude that socialist achievements in the sphere of economic equality were rather modest. They also show that, even under the peculiar conditions imposed on Soviet households by the socialist system, they responded to economic constraints in a way that is predictable by ordinary Western-type models of household behaviour. It will be an invaluable reference source for specialists of Soviet studies, comparative economics, income distribution and women's studies as well as for government officials and journalists.