0. Prerequisites

0.1 Legal environment

0.1.1 Responsibility for collecting, processing, and disseminating statistics

Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat)

• The compilation and dissemination of the data are governed by the terms and conditions of the Federal Law of November 29, 2007 No. 282-FZ On Official Statistical Accounting and State statistics system in the Russian Federation, (Об официальном статистическом учете и системе государственной статистики в Российской Федерации) and Statute on the Federal State Statistics Service, adopted by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation on July 02, 2008 №420 (Положение о Федеральной службе государственной статистики
• Article 1 of the Statute stipulates that the Federal State Statistics Service (the Rosstat) shall provide official statistical information that constitutes part of government information resources on the country's social, economic, demographic and ecologic status.
• Article 5.2 of the Statute stipulates that the Federal State Statistics Service shall develop the official statistical methodology for compilation of statistical observations, and provide conformity of the specified methodology to the international standards.

The above mentioned documents is available in Russian on the following Rosstat's webpage:

Federal Law On Official Statistical Accounting and State statistics system in the Russian Federation (http://www.gks.ru/news/fz282.htm);

Statute on the Federal State Statistics Service (http://www.gks.ru/free_doc/new_site/rosstat/post_rosstat.htm).

0.1.2 Data sharing and coordination among data-producing agencies are adequate

• The Statute and the Law provides Rosstat has the right to receive from respondents primary statistical data and administrative data, including those containing information classified as State secrets, commercial secrets, information about taxpayers, personal data of individuals subject to their obligatory depersonalization, and other information, access to which is restricted by federal laws, in order to compile official statistical information (Article 6.1 of the Statute, Article 9 of the Law).

0.1.3 Confidentiality of individual reporters' data

Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat)

Article 5.16 of the Statute stipulates that the Rosstat shall provide in appropriate way the storage and protection of official, banking, tax, and commercial and other confidential information, received by the Rosstat during its activities.

0.4 Quality management

0.4.1 Quality policy

The document was developed taking into account the principles of official statistical accounting established by the Law, the fundamental principles of official statistics approved at the 68th session of the UN General Assembly on January 23, 2014, the Generic Statistical Business Process Model (version 5.0) prepared by the UNECE High Level Group, and international standards for ensuring the quality of official statistical information.

1. Integrity

1.1 Professionalism

1.1.2 Selection of sources, methodology, and modes of dissemination

Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat)

Article 4 of the Law defines rational choice of sources in order to generate official statistical information to ensure its completeness, reliability and timeliness of provision, as well as to reduce the burden on respondents as one of the principles of official statistics.

Article 7 of the Law states that Rosstat develops official statistical methodology, which includes methods of collecting, monitoring, dissemination, aggregation and grouping primary statistical data and administrative data, compiling national accounts, assessing the accuracy of official statistical information and its systematization, and official statistical methodology of the development of statistical information.

Article 4 of the Law states that the official statistical methodology should be scientifically substantiated, consistent with international standards and principles of official statistics, as well as the legislation of the Russian Federation, open and accessible.

Rosstat disseminate official statistical information by publishing in official publications, the media and posting for publican free access on the official website of Rosstat (www.gks.ru).

1.1.3 Commenting on erroneous interpretation and misuse of statistics

In case of misinterpretation or misuse of statistical data, Rosstat may send a denial to the media, which allowed the distortion of official statistical information, for further publication.

1.2 Transparency

1.2.1 The terms and conditions under which statistics are collected, processed, and disseminated are available to the public.

Methodological documents on the monitoring of consumer prices for goods and services and the calculation of the consumer price index are available publically free for all users on the official website of the Rosstat

http://www.gks.ru/wps/wcm/connect/rosstat_main/rosstat/ru/statistics/tariffs/

1.2.2 Internal governmental access to statistics prior to release

Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat)

There is no government access to the data before its release.

1.2.3 Attribution of statistical products

Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat)

The data are published without ministerial commentary.

1.2.4 Advance notice of major changes in methodology, source data, and statistical techniques.

Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat)

The Rosstat announces significant changes in methodology, source data, and compilation techniques in advance.

Price index: Consumer prices

The Rosstat announces significant changes in methodology, source data, and compilation techniques in advance. Changes in methodology for computation of the consumer price index are reflected in the “Methodological Explanations” section of the monthly report Социально-экономическое положение России (Socio-Economic Situation in Russia), and also in methodology comments accompanying various statistical collections.

1.3.1. Guidelines for staff behavior are in place and are well known to the staff.

In the performance of official duties Rosstat employees adhere to the standards of conduct established by the Code of Ethics and official conduct of Rosstat civil servants, approved by order of Rosstat on October 10, 2016.

Article 15 of the Federal Law of July 27, 2004 No. 79-FZ “On the Civil Service of the Russian Federation” (О государственной гражданской службе Российской Федерации) establishes the duties of civil servants related to the observance of official conduct

2. Methodology

2.1 Concepts and definitions

2.1.1 Concepts and definitions

• Definition: The consumer prices and tariffs index for goods and services (CPI) describes the change over time in the overall level of prices for goods and services purchased by the public for nonproduction consumption. It measures cost ratio of fixed list of goods and services in current period prices to its cost in previous (base) period prices.

The consumer price index includes sample groups (types) of goods and services that are most frequently consumed by the population, covering more than 670 thousand prices and tariffs, 71 thousand retail and service organizations. Registration of prices and tariffs for goods and services is made on a monthly basis from the 21st to the 25th day of the reporting month. In 2019 observation is carried out on 510 types of goods and services - representatives in 283 cities on the territory of all constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Consumer price is the final price of consumption (including VAT, excise, sales tax and other indirect taxes as well as costs and profits of organizations of the distribution network).

When calculating the CPI, weights are based on data on actual consumer expenditures of households for the last two previous years (8 quarters preceding the last quarter of the previous year), obtained as a result of an annual sample survey of household budgets. The distribution of household expenditure items is carried out in accordance with the Russian Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose (the national equivalent of COICOP).

The weighting system used in building consumer price indices is reviewed annually in January.

CPI data are published without seasonal adjustment.

The methodology is based on the principles set out in the “Resolution on Consumer Price Indices” adopted by the 17th International Conference of Labor Statisticians, as well as the “Guide on Consumer Price Index” developed by the ILO, IMF, OECD, Eurostat, UNECE and the World Bank.

2.2 Scope

2.2.1 Scope

2.2.1.1 Scope of the data

• Population coverage: Consumer prices are recorded in the cities of Russian Federation. The consumer price index is compiled for the whole population of the Russian Federation.
• Geographical coverage: Prices are recorded in 283 cities. Consumer price surveys are performed in all of the constituent territories of the Russian Federation. Price information is collected in all of the capitals of the republics, in the kray, oblast, autonomous region and districts’ centers, in federally designated cities, and on a sample basis, in rayon centers (cities and urban-type settlements, referred to hereinafter as "cities") selected in light of their representative nature in reflecting the socioeconomic and geographical status of regions and the degree to which the consumer market is saturated with goods and services. Cities are selected for price surveys using the targeted sample method.
• Item coverage: Consumer price indices are compiled for three major groups: food, nonfood goods, and services purchased by the public, which in turn are broken down into product subgroups and individual types of representative goods and services. In 2019 a total of 510 types of goods and services were included in the set of goods and services used to compile the consumer price index.

2.2.1.2 Exceptions from the scope

• Geographical coverage: rural settlements are not covered.
• Coverage of trade organizations: observation does not include trade organizations (services), the level of prices for goods (services) in which is 2-3 times higher than their average level for similar goods. In the observation also does not participate stores sales and commission trade.
• Item coverage: prices for goods and services sold or provided on preferential terms to certain categories of the population are not subject to registration. Prices for goods that are sold during the short-term discount period (promotions lasting less than 7 days) are not recorded.

2.3 Classification/sectorization

2.3.1 Classification/sectorization

Classification: Classification of goods and services by the Общероссийский классификатор странмира – ОКСМ (OKSM - Russian Classification of Countries of the World), Общероссийский классификатор объектов административно-территориального деления объектов – ОКАТО (OKATO - Russian Classification of Administrative-Territorial Entities) and Классификации индивидуального потребления по целям – КИПЦ  (national equivalent of COICOP).

2.4 Basis for recording

2.4.1 Valuation

• Types of prices: The actual price (tariff) of a product (service) with specific consumer features available for public sale in consumer market (not including goods (services) sold or provided  under concessional terms for specific categories of citizens) and paid for in cash or credit cards is subject to recording. The consumer price is the ultimate consumer price including the VAT, excise tax, sales tax, and other indirect taxes as well as costs and profits of distribution network organizations.

2.4.2 Recording basis

• Timing of price observation: The recording of prices and tariffs for goods and services for compilation of the CPI is performed monthly as of the 21st-25th of the reference month; some adjustments to pricing dates are made when those days fall on a weekend. No price data are collected on an average monthly basis.

3. Accuracy and reliability

3.1 Source data

3.1.1 Source data collection programs

• Sources of weights: Data on consumer spending by the population, derived from household budget surveys, are used as weights in the compilation of the CPI. Additional information is also used to determine the specific weight of individual items in the consumer basket: data on the structure of the retail trade turnover, the output of certain types of products, other sources, and judgments. 
• Time period of current weights: Data on actual consumer expenditures of households for two last biased years (8 quarters prior to the last quarter of the previous year) derived from annual household budget sample survey as weights for computation of the CPI. For example, in order to calculate CPI in 2019, weights for the 4^th quarter of 2016, year 2017 and 9 months of 2018 are used.
• Frequency of weight updates: Weights are updated annually. Weights revisions are introduced in January of each year.
• Item selection. Mass-market consumer goods and services, as well as certain non-essential types of goods and services (passenger cars, gold jewelry, delicatessen products, etc.), are included on a representative basis in the basket of goods and services selected for price surveys. The selection of items is based on their relative importance for public consumption, their representative nature from the standpoint of reflecting price dynamics for similar goods, and their stable availability for sale. The selection is performed using the targeted sampling method.
• Outlet selection: The tracking of prices and tariffs for goods and services is performed at commercial, services and catering organizations, as well as at retail markets and fairs, both at permanent commercial establishments and at mobile outlets (tents, kiosks, etc.), owned by both legal entities and individuals.
• Sample sizes.  More than 71,000 of retail commercial organizations and organizations in the service sector participate in the prices and tariffs for goods and services survey, with more than 670,000 of price quotations recorded for products of specific consumer features (brand, grad , item number). 
• Price collection methods: Price data are collected through personal visits to commercial organizations and organizations in the service sector by employees of statistical authorities or on websites (in some cases by phone) or through the recording of prices using mobile devices. 
• Item/product specification: The consumer prices are tracked on the basis of the consumer basket of representative goods and services which are small product groups.  Consumer prices are recorded for specific consumer features such as brands, grades, and item numbers representing a product group that has been selected for the survey.

3.1.3 Source data are timely.

Primary data are provided in a timely manner to a single server in Moscow at the time of collecting information through closed channels of the mobile Internet.

3.3 Statistical techniques

3.3.1 Source data statistical techniques

• Computation of lowest level indices: A geometric mean value formula of price changes for specific price quotations  is used to compute average prices for the compilation of individual lowest level consumer price indices.
• Aggregation: A modified Laspeyres formula is used to aggregate good and product indices to obtain price indices for product groups, combined consumer price indices at various levels of aggregation, or total indices.
• Alignment of expenditure and base period: Adjustments are made to the weights in order to bring them to a single base period to assure that the base periods of the weights and prices are comparable (to December prices of the previous year).
• Linking reweighted index to historical index: To ensure the comparability of information in two successive years, indices of missing prices for the previous year are imputed. There is no revision of the consumer price index time series.
• Reference period: December of the previous year is used as the period when the price index = 100.

3.3.2 Other statistical procedures

• Treatment of missing prices: “Estimated” prices are imputed when prices are temporarily missing.
• Selection of replacement items: In cases in which a surveyed product disappears permanently from sale, it is replaced, if possible, or it is eliminated from the calculation in accordance with the current methodology for computing consumer price indices.
• Adjustments for quality differences: An adjustment for quality differences when replacement items are selected must be performed following the current methodology for the computation of consumer price indices.
• Introducing new products: The criterion for the inclusion of new products and services in the basket is their share in the population’s total consumer spending. New products and services are included in the basket for consumer price surveys starting with the new reference year when they account for 0.1 percent of total consumer spending by the population.
• Seasonal items: In cases in which products are unavailable seasonally, methods for imputing prices are used.

·         Owner-occupied housing: Changes in prices in the housing market are not taken into account in the CPI. Only changes in the maintenance expenses of apartment owners are included in the computation of the CPI as well as the rental cost of private housing.

• Seasonally adjusted indices: Consumer price indices are not published with a seasonal adjustment on a regular basis.

3.4 Data validation

3.4.1 Validation of intermediate results

• Verification of prices: Methods for checking input and output data as well as audits for price recording in accordance with the current methodology are used to validate the accuracy and reliability of collected price information.
• Verification of processing: Methods to check index compilation and output data are used to validate the accuracy of the computation of consumer price data at various stages of data processing.

3.5.1 Studies and analyses of revisions are carried out routinely and used internally to inform statistical processes

CPI data are final and cannot be revised.

4. Serviceability

4.1 Periodicity and timeliness

4.1.1 Periodicity

Monthly

4.1.2 Timeliness

Aggregated data on CPI broken down by goods and services, constituent entities of the Russian Federation, federal districts and Russian Federation in general are available free on the Rosstat website on the 6th working day after the reporting month.

4.2 Consistency

4.2.1 Internal consistency

Data on consumer prices indices can be cross-checked by the public using detailed data broken down by price indices for food items, non-food items and services, as well as by groups of goods (services) and its specific types, by constituent entities of the Russian Federation and Russia as a whole and published in annual publications:

Statistical Yearbook of Russia” («Российский статистический ежегодник») (in Russian only);

Prices in Russia” («Цены в России») (in Russian only);

“Social Status and Living Standard in Russia” («Социальное положение и уровень жизни населения в России”) (in Russian only);

“Regions of Russia” («Регионы России») (in Russian only);

“Russia in Figures” («Россия в цифрах») (in Russian and in English).

In addition data on CPI as well as on weights in CPI compilation for the Russian Federation are available at the Rosstat official website and at the Unified Interdepartmental Statistical Information System.

Information in the above mentioned database is updated monthly on the 6^thworking day after the reference period.

4.3 Revision

4.3.1 Revision schedule

Data are final when first released.

5. Accessibility

5.1 Data

5.1.1 Statistical presentation

Data are disseminated on the consumer price index, a modified Laspeyres index (2000 = 100, 2010=100), covering the Russian Federation as a whole. The overall index is published, as well as indices (as of end of previous month, quarter, year) for the following three subgroups: food items, non-food items and services.

The index randomly includes groups (types) of goods and services, most frequently consumed by population, covering more than 670,000 number of prices and tariffs collected from 71,000 commerce and service organizations. The recording of prices and tariffs for goods and services is carried out monthly as of the 21st-25th of the reference month.  In 2018 prices for more than 509 names (types) of goods and services are surveyed in 276 cities from all constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The consumer price is the ultimate consumer price including the VAT, excise tax, sales tax, and other indirect taxes as well as costs and profits of distribution network organizations.

Data on actual consumer expenditures of households for two last biased years (8 quarters prior to the last quarter of the previous year) derived from annual household budget sample survey are used as weights in the compilation of the CPI. Distribution of households’ expenditure items is implemented in accordance with COICOP.

Data on CPI are not seasonally adjusted.

5.1.2 Dissemination media and format

Hard copy - Monthly Bulletin

Социально-экономическое положение России (Socio-Economic Situation in Russia) (In Russian only).

Annual publications:

Российский статистический ежегодник (Statistical Yearbook of Russia) (in Russian only);

Цены в России (Prices in Russia) (in Russian only);

Регионы России. Социально-экономические показатели (Regions of Russia. Social and Economic Indicators) (in Russian only);

Russia in Figures (Россия в цифрах) (in Russian and in English);

To order a copy, please contact the above address.

Electronic - On-line bulletin or data

http://www.gks.ru/wps/wcm/connect/rosstat_main/rosstat/en/main/ (in English)

Electronic - Other

Available on request; please contact the above address.

5.1.3 Advance release calendar

The precise release dates for the current month and the upcoming three months are listed on the webpage of the Rosstat:

http://www.gks.ru/wps/wcm/connect/rosstat_main/rosstat/ru/statistics/imf/release/

5.1.4 Simultaneous release

Data are simultaneously released to all interested parties on the English website of the Rosstat and in Russian in the monthly Rosstat's bulletin Социально-экономическое положение России (Socio-economic position in Russia), which is also accessible on the above-mentioned website.

5.1.5 Statistics not routinely disseminated are made available upon request.

Rosstat provides, at the request of users, official statistical information (aggregated data that does not contain confidential information). Information on average prices and price indices for certain goods (services), as well as price indices for groups of goods (services) is available on request.

5.2 Metadata

5.2.1 Dissemination of documentation on concepts, scope, classifications, basis of recording, data sources, and statistical techniques

Methodological documents on monitoring of consumer  prices for goods and services and calculation of consumer price index are available in free public access at the Rosstat official website: http://www.gks.ru/wps/wcm/connect/rosstat_main/rosstat/ru/statistics/tariffs/

5.2.2 Levels of detail are adapted to the needs of the intended audience.

CPI data are published in the context of goods and services for various base periods, as well as for the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, federal districts and Russian Federaration as a whole. Information on average consumer prices is additionally published in the context of Russian cities in which observation is organized.

5.3 Assistance to users

5.3.1 Contact points for each subject field are publicized

The contact details of Rosstat specialists dealing with consumer price statistics are available both on the site of the Rosstat central office and on the sites of its territorial bodies.