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- Go into the gap: the highest inflation was recorded in Kamchatka, the lowest in Moscow
Go into the gap: the highest inflation was recorded in Kamchatka, the lowest in Moscow
Inflation in Russia has been divided geographically: by the end of 2025, price pressure in the Far East was 2.5 times higher than in the central regions. While Moscow has managed to keep the price increase at just below 3.7%, residents of Kamchatka have faced 9.5%. Nationwide, inflation has slowed significantly, but it is still above the Central Bank's target of about 5.6%. About why the price race in the regions is going at different speeds and how this will affect the wallets of citizens in 2026 — in the material of Izvestia.
How prices have increased in the regions in 2025
According to the results of 2025, inflation in the regions of Russia was different. The largest figure is in Kamchatka, 9.48%, according to Rosstat data (Izvestia analyzed them). At the same time, the minimum price increase for the year was in Moscow — 3.68%.
Inflation was higher than the national average (almost 5.6%) in 59 regions of the country. The top 5 in terms of price growth by the end of the year also included Murmansk (8.17%) and Kaliningrad (7.99%) regions, the Jewish Autonomous Region (7.78%), and Buryatia (7.6%).
The price increase was below the average Russian level in 26 regions. In addition to Moscow, Chukotka had a lower target than the Central Bank (3.99%). The values close to the target were recorded by the authorities of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug — Yugra (4.18%), Chechnya (4.46%) and the Arkhangelsk Region (4.71%).
In addition, there was no double-digit price growth in any of the regions at the end of the year. For comparison, there were 20 of them in 2024.
Izvestia has sent inquiries to the regions about how much prices have increased in 2025. The press service of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Ulyanovsk region stated that its consumer price index for food is one of the lowest in the Volga Federal District. The authorities hold fairs for local producers, and prices there are on average 10-15% lower than store prices. For individual positions, the difference can reach 50%, the press service said.
The administration of the governor of the Kaluga Region emphasized that in order to curb the rise in prices for socially important goods, entrepreneurs in the region were recommended to set trade surcharges of no more than 10% of the wholesale price.
Both in the regions and in the country as a whole, inflation has slowed down compared to 2024. The total figure in the previous year was 1.5 times higher — about 9.5%. The main reason was the weakening of consumer demand against the background of tight monetary policy, believes Yaroslav Kabakov, Director of Strategy at Finam IC. The continued high key interest rate (in October 2024 - June 2025, it was at a record level of 21%) restrained lending activity, limited consumption and investment.
Additionally, the price dynamics were influenced by the stabilization of individual commodity markets, a partial increase in supply and a more moderate increase in household incomes compared to last year, the expert believes. The editorial board asked Rosstat what influenced the decrease in inflation in the regions.
Why does inflation vary in regions?
Despite the slowdown in price growth in 2025, the gap between the regions is significant — about 5.8 percentage points. In each region, there are factors that either restrain or accelerate it, said Natalia Milchakova, a leading analyst at Freedom Finance Global.
— For example, in the northern part of the country, including the territories beyond the Arctic Circle and the Far East (Kamchatka), the cost of products and services is traditionally higher due to remoteness, limited transport accessibility and climatic conditions. In particular, fresh vegetables and fruits are noticeably more expensive here. However, such products cost a minimum in the southern regions of Russia," she noted.
Differences in income levels and market saturation also increase discrepancies in price increases, says Yaroslav Kabakov from Finam Research Institute. Where there is less competition and the market is smaller, inflation is usually higher and more volatile. The risk of such inequality lies in the accelerated decline in real incomes in individual regions and the growth of socio-economic imbalances, the expert said.
The press service of the Ministry of Economy told Izvestia that the difference in the dynamics of inflation in the regions is due to many factors - a different balance of supply and demand, differences in the structure of costs, including transport, and the level of competition. This is typical for many countries with a vast territory, they added.
Moscow showed a minimal price increase of 3.68% due to a combination of factors largely inaccessible to most regions, Yaroslav Kabakov emphasized. The capital has the most developed logistics, a high concentration of retailers, fierce competition in trade and services, as well as a significant volume of supply. According to him, the scale of the market allows businesses to contain inflation through turnover and operational efficiency, while high competition limits the ability to quickly transfer costs to consumers.
Market mechanisms are working faster and tougher in the capital, says Andrei Glushkin, a member of the Council of the MRO Delovaya Rossiya. The huge market does not allow prices to rise for a long time. If it gets too expensive somewhere, the consumer simply goes to another seller, and the business begins to react, he added. In regions with fewer players, there is often no such flexibility.
Russians may feel the price increase is higher than it actually is. The observed (personal) inflation is always higher than the official one, Natalia Milchakova emphasized. This is due to the fact that the consumer basket of an individual or household does not match the basket of a statistically average Russian, which includes food and basic necessities in rather limited quantities. That is, each person has their own level of consumption, the expert noted.
What will be the price increase in 2026
In early 2026, Russian businesses raised prices after the tax increase. As Izvestia wrote earlier, prices in the field of logistics, services and IT have increased dramatically. Business, in addition to taxes, explains this by rising wages and rising fuel prices, but the costs were eventually shifted to consumers. From January 1 to January 12, prices in Russia increased by 1.26% on average, which is significantly higher than the usual monthly data. Further, from January 13 to January 19, the growth was less significant — 0.45%.
However, the regulator believes that this is a one-time impulse, said Fyodor Sidorov, founder of the School of Practical Investment.
The price increase for the year will be moderate — we should expect about 4.5–5%, experts polled by Izvestia believe. Cautious demand and the continued rigidity of financial conditions will restrain inflation, believes Andrei Glushkin, a member of the Council of the MRO Delovaya Rossiya. At the same time, possible external shocks and local shortages can accelerate the growth of product costs.
Customs and tariff regulation measures are being applied to promptly respond to visible price spikes for important commodity groups, the Ministry of Economy noted. At the same time, the main task is to expand the supply of goods and services. A balanced budget policy also plays an essential role.
The Central Bank told the editorial board that the regulator supports the necessary rigidity of monetary conditions to return inflation to the target - in this case, regional inequality decreases. The spread of indicators in the regions becomes minimal, since the achievement of macroeconomic stability at the federal level (in most regions) contributes to the stabilization of price dynamics in the regions of the country, they added.
According to Andrey Glushkin, the authorities act consistently, combining interest rate policy and targeted measures. The figures now show that inflation has been brought under control. However, this does not mean that the problem has been completely solved. So far, the situation has become more manageable and predictable, including at the regional level.
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