highest prices
Rosstat reports sharp price growth in Ingushetia, reaching 10.8 percent, driven by a 15.1 percent surge in food costs. The Arkhangelsk region and the Republic of Khakassia also saw consumer prices climb by more than ten percent, largely due to higher costs for non-food items.
In Moscow, prices rose by 7.2 percent, while St. Petersburg registered a 7.7 percent increase.
Food prices in March were 6.73 percent higher year over year after February, with non-food prices up 11.25 percent and 20.34 percent respectively. Service costs grew by 3.99 percent for the month and by 9.94 percent compared with the previous year.
Products with increasing price
Among vegetables and fruits, onions led the March price gains with a 50.1 percent rise. Close behind were white cabbage at 39.8 percent, bananas at 31.5 percent, carrots at 29.5 percent, fresh tomatoes at 27.4 percent, and table beets at 24.7 percent. Fresh cucumbers, by contrast, fell 17.4 percent.
Across Russia, granulated sugarCost climbed about 44 percent, and salt rose 14.2 percent. In the Sakhalin Region and the Republic of Tyva, salt prices actually dropped by 4.0 percent and 0.1 percent respectively.
Rice prices increased by 12.9 percent on average, while buckwheat rose by 10.2 percent, although Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region saw buckwheat prices fall 1.1 percent.
Sunflower oil price movements showed a 7.2 percent rise nationwide, with Magadan recording a 3.5 percent decline. Rosstat observes that fish products, delicacies, and shrimp also trended higher. Baby food canned vegetables, premium wheat flour pasta, noodles, millet, margarine, wheat flour, catering items (like burger combos), muffins, rolls, gingerbread, cookies, sweetened condensed milk, chocolates, marshmallows, caramels, juices, tea and coffee all posted gains in the 7.2 to 12.0 percent range.
Techniques and drugs
March saw the greatest price growth among non-food goods in electrical appliances and household items. Automatic washing machines jumped 46.3 percent, refrigerators 35 percent, and stoves 27.5 percent. Mixers and blenders rose 27.3 percent, sewing machines 26.6 percent, vacuum cleaners 26.2 percent, and microwave ovens 26 percent. Electric irons climbed 25.4 percent and electric kettles 21.4 percent.
Personal computers, TVs, and related devices contributed to the rise, with USB drives up 36.8 percent, monitors 36.6 percent, monoblock PCs 24.8 percent, televisions 22.9 percent, laptops 21 percent, and other electronics following suit.
The price level for life-sustaining medicines rose by 15.3 percent, while essential drugs advanced by 4.9 percent. Blood pressure monitors gained 13 percent, bandages 12.7 percent, disposable syringes 10.8 percent, medical thermometers 9.4 percent, and cotton 9 percent.
Household necessities such as sanitary pads (19.3 percent), diapers (17.5 percent), washing powder (16.4 percent), toothpaste (12.6 percent), toilet paper (12.5 percent), and matches (10.4 percent) all moved higher. Among other non-food items, jewelry increased by 36.4 percent, cameras by 33.7 percent, and new foreign-brand cars by 29.2 percent.
Services
In March, travel and recreation prices showed notable variation. Holiday packages to Turkey rose about 1.7 times, to Egypt by 47.4 percent, to the United Arab Emirates by 39.3 percent, and sanatoriums, rest houses, and hostels also saw higher costs. Sightseeing tours within Russia rose 1.2 percent, while bus tours increased 1.1 percent.
Long-distance train fares climbed between 1.7 and 10.1 percent for the month, and economy class air travel rose by 7.2 percent.
Meanwhile, accommodation in two-star hotels fell about 0.5 percent, movie tickets declined by 0.8 percent, and taxi prices slipped roughly 1 percent.