Data Blackout: Russia Tightens Control Over Economic and Demographic Statistics Amid Recession Fears

Russian officials are progressively limiting access to critical government statistics, such as economic, demographic, and crime data, amid rising fears of a potential economic downturn, according to analysts at the state-owned Promsvyazbank (PSB) in a recent report.

This development comes in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s urging to avert a recession. Analysts from PSB point out that this has led to the federal statistics agency, Rosstat, withholding several important macroeconomic indicators for June and the first half of 2025.

Among the omitted statistics were retail and wholesale trade figures adjusted for inflation. While Rosstat announced a nominal year-on-year retail turnover increase of 12.2% for June, it did not provide the real figure accounting for inflation. PSB experts estimate that actual growth may be only around 2-3%.

Concerns were further heightened by wholesale trade data. Although Rosstat indicated a nominal increase of 0.4%, PSB stated that the true turnover may have declined by as much as 10%, continuing a downward trend that has persisted for several months.

Additionally, real GDP figures for June, typically released by the Economic Development Ministry, were also missing.

This data blackout is part of a larger trend that emerged following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Information regarding customs and the Central Bank’s gold and foreign currency reserves has been classified, and major companies are no longer obligated to reveal financial outcomes or details about their top executives.

In 2023, the government classified statistics on oil and gas production, and by 2024, in light of a series of drone strikes attributed to Ukraine, Rosstat ceased to publish data on gasoline and diesel fuel production.

Demographic statistics have faced significant restrictions as well. Following the invasion, Rosstat stopped releasing mortality statistics categorized by age and region.

By 2024, the agency had also withheld data on the causes of death, which could indirectly indicate military casualties.

In 2025, as the birth rate tumbled to record lows, the agency halted all monthly reports concerning births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and regional population figures.

The Interior Ministry has likewise limited access to crime-related mortality statistics amidst a reported rise in serious offenses associated with the return of ex-convicts from the front lines. Currently, the level of violent crime is reported to be at its highest in 15 years.