This section contains statistical data related to the level and indices of prices (tariffs) for goods and services in the consumer market, as well as for the products of production branches.

System of price indices compiled by the state statistical bodies comprises indices of prices and tariffs for goods and services in the consumer markets, producer prices for industrial and agricultural goods, aggregate price index of construction, tariffs for freight shipment, prices for basic energy resources purchased by industrial organisations. These indices are computed using the data collected while recording prices and tariffs for representative goods and commodities (services) within a sample coverage of enterprises of all types and forms of ownership.

Consumer price index shows time fluctuations of prices for goods and services purchased by the consumers for non-production consumption within a specified period of time. It measures a ratio of the value of a fixed basket of main goods and services at the prices of the current period as related to its value at the prices of the base period.

Price indices are calculated monthly on the basis of statistical data collected while observing price changes in retail trade and service establishments and also in commodity, mixed and food markets both in stationary trade enterprises, and in mobile trade (stalls, kiosks, booths, etc.) and also in the field of services and as well as on data of actual structure of consumer expenditures of households for the previous year.

Consumer price index is one of the key indicators characterizing inflationary processes in the economy.

Indices of prices in primary and secondary market of dwellings are calculated on the basis of registered prices for correspondingly, newly built dwellings and for the dwellings of functioning privatized housing stock if they are objects of market bargains.

The observation is being carried out for selected organisations dealing with real estate business in territorial centers and big cities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. When registering prices for dwellings their quantity and quality characteristics and location in the city are taken into account. The average prices for the Russian Federation are computed on the basis of the average prices for territories. Data on the number of flats commissioned in the previous year and the resident population size at the beginning of reference year are used as the weight factor.

Producer price indices for industrial goods are compiled on the basis of recording prices for representative goods produced by 7 thousand basic (key) organisations covered by the survey. Average prices and price index are calculated for more than 800 representative goods. The actual prices for the goods produced provided they are sold in the domestic market are to be recorded for (except indirect tax, value added tax, excise taxes, etc) for estimation of producer prices. Producer price indices calculated for representative goods and commodities shall be gradually aggregated into indices of the corresponding types, kinds, classes, divisions of economic activities. Data on the volume of production in value terms of the base period are being used as the weight factor.

Price indices for fuel-energy resources purchased by industrial organisations are calculated on the basis of registered price for their main types. Average acquisition prices include, apart from the price of production, value added tax, excise taxes and other tax, transport, sale, intermediary and other expenditures. Construction of indices of acquisition prices is carried out by comparable range of resources for reporting and base periods and envisages the system of the weighting method using the data on the products purchased during the base period

Producer price indices for sold agricultural produce are computed on the basis of registered prices in selected for observation agricultural enterprises for main types of representative goods sold to purchasing organisations, processing companies, in market, through own trade outlets, at fairs, to households directly from transport means, in exchanges and auctions, to organisations, commercial structures, etc.

Producer prices for agricultural produce are given with due regard to increments and reductions for the quality of sold produce excluding the expenses connected with transportation, dispatch, loading and unloading of produce and also value added tax and subsidies.

Producer prices index for construction products reflects changing investments in construction of objects different kinds of economic activities and calculated as an aggregate indicator of price indices referring to construction and installation works, machines and equipment and other major capital-consuming construction work and expenditures weighted by the share of these elements in the total volume of investments in fixed capital.

Price indices for construction and installation are derived by means of recording prices for materials, parts, constructions and structures purchased at basic contractors (construction organisations) in all regions of the Russian Federation, estimated on the basis of technological samples and models developed by kinds of economic activities with due regard for local peculiarities of construction.

Price indices for machines and equipment used for construction are computed using the data on the changes in producer prices for machines as well as on transport, sale and supply costs, value added tax rate.

Price indices for other major capital-consuming construction work and expenditures are determined from price indices for the basic components of those works (research and surveying, production, maintenance and exploration deep drilling, other costs).

Indices of tariffs for freight shipments make it possible to determine current changes in freight shipping tariffs, irrespective of the changes in the structure of cargo shipped considering multilateral properties such as consignment type, size of deliveries, speed of delivery, distances for the freight shipments to be covered by carriers, territory of transportation, rolling stock type, freight carrying capacity and its use, and some other features.

This particular type of index number is compiled as aggregate index of tariff rates for freight shipping by different modes of transport (rail, pipelines, sea, inland water, motor vehicle and air transport). A tariff of a representative service is registered for each mode of transport. The representative service is measured by the cost of shipping one ton of bulk cargo by the definite mode of transport over a specified distance. Recording of tariffs is done in a sample population of transport organisations. Revenues from a particular transport mode for shipping cargo during a base period are taken as weights.