MOSCOW, Mar 15 Weekly inflation in Russia accelerated to 0.02% from March 7 to 13, consumer prices rose by 1.32% since the beginning of the year, Rosstat said on Wednesday .
A week earlier, Rosstat recorded zero inflation, and in the period from February 21 to February 27, a deflation of 0.02%, which is completely uncharacteristic for winter.
«For the period from March 7 to March 13, 2023, the consumer price index, according to Rosstat, amounted to 100.02%, from the beginning of March — 100.02%, from the beginning of the year — 101.32%,» the document says.
According to Rosstat, fruit and vegetable prices slowed down to 0.2% from 2% and 0.8% in the previous two reporting weeks. In particular, from March 7 to 13, cucumbers fell in price by 10%, potatoes — by 0.9%, cabbage — by 0.8%, carrots — by 0.1%. At the same time, prices for tomatoes rose by 6.8%, onions — by 2.2%, bananas — by 1.7%, apples — by 0.5%, beets — by 0.3%.
At the same time, out of 33 product positions (excluding fruits and vegetables), price reductions were recorded for 20 items. Canned vegetables for baby food (by 0.93%) and mutton — by 0.78% fell the most. There was also a decrease in prices for canned fruits and berries for baby food, tea, pasta — by an average of 0.4%, boiled sausages, margarine, hard, semi-hard and soft cheeses, cottage cheese — by 0.3%, chicken meat, semi-smoked and boiled-smoked sausages, butter, rice, noodles and cookies — by 0.2%, sunflower oil and salt — by 0.1%.
13 types of products went up in price, the most expensive was eggs — by 1.01%, followed by millet, flour and frozen fish — an average increase of 0.5%. Powdered milk formulas for baby food rose in price by 0.3%, sugar continued to rise in price — it added 0.23% over the week. For the first time in many months, buckwheat went up in price — by 0.2%. In addition, price increases were recorded for beef, canned meat for baby food — by 0.2%, sausages, sausages and rye bread — by 0.1%.
Among non-food essentials, toilet soap and toilet paper added 0.4% in price, matches and diapers for newborns — 0.2%. At the same time, feminine hygiene pads (by 0.35%), baby diapers (by 0.2%), laundry soap (by 0.17%), and toothbrushes (by 0.1%) fell in price.
Prices for TVs decreased in the reporting week by almost 1%, smartphones and electric vacuum cleaners — by 0.4%. The cost of a new domestic car in the week from March 7 to March 13 did not change, while the cost of a foreign one decreased by 0.1%. Prices for motor gasoline and diesel fuel remained virtually unchanged.
From March 7 to March 13, Rosstat recorded an increase in prices for a number of medicines observed in the weekly dynamics, including analgin (by 0.46%), Levomekol ointment (by 0.34%), allochol (0.23%), the anti-inflammatory drug Nimesulide (by 0.22%) and multivitamins (by 0.16%). At the same time, Corvalol, antiviral «Ergoferon» and validol fell in price.
The cost of an economy class flight accelerated to 4.27% from 0.27% in the previous reporting week.