Price Increases For Basic Food Items In Russia Have Outpaced Inflation By A Factor Of Two

• 3.09.2026, 18:07

Since the beginning of 2022, inflation has been around 50%, while people report it at 104%.

Basic food items, which make up the core of Russian citizens' consumer basket, continue to rise in price faster than the official inflation rate, according to The Moscow Times.

The minimum basket of 33 food items, which Rosstat uses to compare inflation across regions and allocate subsidies for free school lunches, rose in price by 8.5% from January through July of this year, according to data from Rosstat’s Unified Interdepartmental Information and Statistical System (EMISS).

With inflation at 4.75% (over the first 7 months of the year), the rate of price growth for Rosstat’s “minimum basket”—which includes meat, milk, grains, eggs, fruits, and vegetables, was twice as high, and for certain products—five times or more higher. For example, chicken and fish became 11% more expensive, beef 10%, sugar 26%, and vegetables (potatoes, cabbage, onions, carrots) 27–36%. Since the start of the war, the “basic basket” has become 1.5 times more expensive, according to statistics.

Russians themselves, however, estimate inflation to be roughly twice as high as the official figures. According to Rosstat, inflation has been around 50% since the beginning of 2022, while people’s observations put it at 104% (based on monthly surveys conducted by FOM for the Central Bank of the Russian Federation). An August FOM survey for the Central Bank showed that food remains at the top of people’s complaints about inflation: 45% cited a “very sharp” rise in prices for meat and poultry—even more often than for gasoline. 33% cited fish and seafood, and 28% cited fruits and vegetables.

Forced to spend nearly 40% of their income on food—a record high over the past 16 years—Russian consumers have been tightening their belts since last year, cutting back even on food expenses. According to Evotor, in the first half of the year, the number of purchases at neighborhood stores fell by 10%, and at specialty grocery stores by 5%. Major retail chains—Pyaterochka, “Perekrestok,” and “Lenta”—have faced a decline in foot traffic, though it has been most noticeable at premium supermarkets such as “Vkusvilla” and “Azbuka Vkusa.”

The population is shifting toward a thrifty consumption model, notes Alexander Samuilov, chief analyst at T-Investments: “Shoppers are cutting back on non-essential spending and more often choosing more affordable goods. This is putting the greatest pressure on premium grocery chains and demand for non-essential goods.”

The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) is already addressing the rise in sugar prices, but the authorities cannot slow the price increases across all food products. Chicken producers are trying to offset declining production profitability through higher prices (chicken is now nearly as expensive as pork), the rise in beef prices is caused by a reduction in the cattle herd, and it is impossible to quickly increase it, according to Central Bank analysts. They note that the rise in fruit and vegetable prices exceeds normal seasonal fluctuations.