27 Dec 2017 16:47

Weekly inflation in Russia again 0.1%, prices up 2.5% YTD

MOSCOW. Dec 27 (Interfax) - Russia had 0.1% inflation in the week December 19-25, the Russian State Statistics Service (Rosstat) said.

Russia had 0.1% inflation the previous four weeks also and zero inflation the week before that.

Consumer prices rose 0.4% in the first 25 days of December and 2.5% between January 1 and December 25.

There was average daily price growth of 0.017% in the first 25 days of December. There are no data for the equivalent period last year, but daily prices averaged up 0.013% in the whole of December 2016.

On that basis and given that annualized inflation was 2.49% at the end of November, it follows that inflation in annual terms may have quickened to 2.6% by December 25. Rosstat will publish more precise figures for the month and the year on Friday.

Fruit and vegetables averaged up 2.3% in price in the past week, with tomatoes and cucumbers rising 7.7% each.

Prices rose 1.1% for eggs and 0.2%-0.4% for pork, beef, millet and margarine, falling 0.9% for buckwheat, 0.5% for granulated sugar and 0.1%-0.3% for chickens, flour and sunflower oil.

Gasoline prices went up 0.3% and diesel rose 0.6% in price.

The Economic Development Ministry is expecting 0.4%-0.5% inflation for December and 2.5%-2.6% for the year.