Rising Prices Force Russians to Rely on Bread and Pasta as Potato Costs Soar

Rising food prices and tightening household budgets have led Russian consumers to increasingly replace essential vegetables with other staples that were once more affordable.

A notable instance is the dramatic price increase of potatoes, a staple in the Russian diet, which saw an average retail price hike of 173% year-on-year by the end of May, marking the steepest rise in over two decades.

In light of these changes, potato consumption dropped by 8% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same timeframe last year, according to an assessment by the Center for Development at the Higher School of Economics.

Conversely, bread sales grew by 6%, pasta sales went up by 5%, and grain purchases increased by 3% during the same period, as reported by the pro-Kremlin newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta, referencing retail data.

Svetlana Misikhina, the deputy director of the Center for Development at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics, indicated that the affordability of potatoes has plummeted by nearly 45% in the last year.

Similar trends are apparent in other essential items: the average cost of onions surged by 41%, while butter prices climbed by 34%. Consequently, the affordability of onions and butter declined by 17% and 15%, respectively.

In contrast, products like grains and pasta have become more affordable by 12% and 14% respectively, attributed to relatively stable prices and rising consumer demand, according to Misikhina.

Despite official narratives framing this dietary evolution as a switch to «higher-quality foods,» the underlying figures reflect significant economic pressure.

The state statistics agency, Rosstat, reported that average food prices in the first four months of 2025 were 12% higher than in the same period the previous year, with vegetables experiencing the most significant price surges.

By May, the average retail price for potatoes had risen to 84.7 rubles per kilogram, while onions reached 72.3 rubles (an increase of 87.2%), cabbage hit 75.2 rubles (up 56.8%), and beets saw a moderate rise of 11.9%. Even the price of tomatoes increased by 1.2%.

On June 11, the Ministry of Industry and Trade proposed implementing state price controls on the most in-demand vegetables.

The proposal aims for long-term agreements between suppliers and retailers, establishing fixed price ranges for vegetables within the so-called «borscht index,» which refers to the ingredients of the traditional Russian soup, including potatoes, cabbage, carrots, onions, and beets.

While food demand remains the only consistently growing segment in the consumer market, other areas have stagnated.

The Institute for Economic Forecasting of the Russian Academy of Sciences reported that sales of non-food items—including cars, electronics, refrigerators, and washing machines—have leveled off. Overall, retail turnover growth fell to 3.2% in the first quarter of 2025.