Borscht Ingredient Prices Spike as Russian Inflation Hits Grocery Budgets Hardest

The cost of vegetables essential for preparing borscht has surged dramatically in Russia over the past year, as reported by the Kommersant business daily, which referenced state data.

The «borscht index» has emerged as an economic indicator in Eastern European nations, given that the components of this traditional soup include basic ingredients commonly present in the region’s kitchens.

Except for potatoes, which experienced a staggering price increase of 166.5% in the last year, onions and cabbage have seen some of the most significant price rises among the vegetables required for borscht.

In May, the average retail price of onions rose by 87.2% compared to the previous year, reaching 72.3 rubles ($0.91) per kilogram, as noted by Kommersant, citing data from the state statistics agency Rosstat.

White cabbage saw a price hike of 56.8% during the same timeframe, with costs reaching 75.2 rubles ($0.94) per kilogram.

In contrast, beet prices increased by 11.9%, while tomatoes saw a minimal rise of just 1.2%, according to Rosstat.

Experts told Kommersant that poor crop yields are a primary contributor to the rising prices.

In one of the critical growing regions, the Volgograd region, drought and water supply challenges have negatively affected onion and cabbage crops, another expert indicated.

A farmer interviewed by Kommersant pointed out that the escalating costs of fertilizers and pesticides have pushed production expenses higher for growers.

The Agriculture Ministry has announced plans to enlarge vegetable planting areas this year, believing that this will help stabilize prices for the upcoming harvest season.

With persistent inflation, the proportion of Russians’ income spent on groceries has reached its highest level since the onset of the Ukraine conflict, according to analysts at Romir.

In April 2025, an average of 34.6% of household expenditures by Russians was allocated to food, an increase from 33% at the beginning of the year and up from 28.6% the previous year.