Purpose: to consider excessive inequality as a factor that deters development of both innovation potential and economic dynamics of contemporary Russian society Results: the paper holds the results of the child neglect sociological survey in a large Russian city (Ufa) as well as of needy and poverty-stricken people’s health state, analyzes their possibilities to participate in modernization of the Russian economics Scope of application: the paper is of interest for specialists who study social process in contemporary Russian society.