Eastern Europe / Data
Russia’s July manufacturing production PMI sees steepest drop for three years
Russia’s manufacturing sector saw its most severe contraction in output since early 2022, to 47, as demand faltered and firms struggled with financial pressures, according to new data from S&P Global released on August 1.
Russian business travellers are discovering Uzbekistan
Are sanctions-busters scouting out a new hub?
IMF corrects growth forecast upwards – Statista
Despite uncertain market conditions amid the Trump administration's tariff regime and major global conflicts, the International Monetary Fund has upped its global economic growth forecasts for 2025 and 2026 slightly, Statista reported on July 30.
Low trust in CBR communications pushes up inflation expectations to 13% - InFOM
Inflation expected by Russian households for the next 12 months did not change in the last month and remain elevated, according to according to InFOM’s survey, commissioned by the Central Bank of Russia (CBR). (chart)
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Russia’s CBR cuts key rate to 18% to help cooling economy
The board of the Central Bank of Russia resolved to cut the key interest rate by 200 basis points from 20% to 18%, as strong disinflation trend in July untied the regulator’s hand in supporting the economy that slides from overheating to recession.
Putin’s public trust rating steady at 77.9% in July - VTsIOM
President Vladimir Putin’s public trust rating rose slightly to 77.9%, according to the latest data from the Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VTsIOM), TASS reported on July 25.
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Weekly deflation ahead of Russia’s CBR meeting
Russia's consumer prices fell by 0.05% week on week during the week of July 15 to July 21, following a slight increase of 0.02% the week before.
Fitch upgrades Trump’s effective tariff rate to 19.4%
President Donald Trump’s evolving trade policy is set to sharply increase the United States’ effective tariff rate (ETR), with Fitch Ratings warning of substantial rises as new duties take effect on August 1.
Geopolitics is weighing on FDI, capital chasing certainty over scale – study
The world is living through turbulent times, but investors are still chasing returns which has affected the flows of international foreign direct investment.
IMF: The debate over falling fertility
A decline in global population later this century may threaten human progress, or it may lead to better lives.
Russia’s relegation in Central Asia trade complete as China takes Tajikistan export-import crown
Moscow now playing second fiddle to Beijing across the ex-Soviet space.
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Russia’s inflation slows to 9.4% in June
Russian consumer prices rose 0.2% month on month and 9.4% year on year in June, in line with preliminary weekly data, according to the latest RosStat report.
Tipping Point: when populations peak – Statista
As July 11 marks World Population Day, celebrating the approximate date that the world's population reached 5bn in 1987, we're taking a closer at one of the population trends that will affect many countries sooner or later in the 21st Century.
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Utility tariffs expectedly spike Russian weekly inflation
Russian consumer prices jumped to 0.79% growth week-on-week in the week ending July 7, up from 0.07% seen in the previous week.
Hopes for a prosperous European future fading as a majority of Ukrainians now see only a bleak outlook for the country
Ukrainians' confidence in a prosperous European future has turned negative, according to recent polling data by Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).
Russia’s military recruitment slows but costs surge past $4bn in first half of 2025
Russia’s contract military recruitment slowed in May and June after a spring surge, but the cost of signing up new soldiers continued to climb, according to analysis by Janis Kluge, fellow at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP).
Russia's service PMI falls back into the red in June for the first time in a year to 49.2
Russia’s service sector fell back into the red at the end of the second quarter as the S&P Global PMI index fell to 49.2 in June from 52.2 in May, below the 50 no-change benchmark.
Russian manufacturing contracts in June decline at fastest rate in three years to 47.5
Russia’s manufacturing sector recorded its sharpest downturn in more than three years in June, as weak domestic and international demand triggered renewed declines in new orders and output, S&P Global reported on June 30.
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Russia’s inflation continued to recede to 9.5%
Russia’s consumer price inflation during the week of June 17–23 was 0.04% week on week, flat as compared to the previous week, according to the latest report from RosStat statistics agency.
Polish public support for Ukraine’s EU and NATO membership drops sharply – poll
Public backing in Poland for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union and Nato has fallen significantly since the start of the war, according to a new survey by the research agency IBRiS.