Vegetables that make up Russia’s traditional “borscht set” used to calculate the Borscht index – Russia’s answer to the Big Mac index that tracks real inflation -- are expected to become significantly cheaper in 2025 following a strong harvest and efforts by producers to contain prices, TASS reported on January 6, citing Dmitry Leonov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Rusprodsoyuz association.

The Borscht Index was invented by retired teacher Natalya Atuchina from Omsk, who invented the index in 2014 to track rising prices after the sanctions regime was first imposed on Russia. It follows the cost of the ingredients used to make the ubiquitous soup. It is considered to be a good proxy for tracking the quality in the bottom third of society and was later adopted by the CBR which now tracks the prices of the benchmark ingredients in the soup – the so-called borscht set.

“The borscht set vegetables have become cheaper thanks to a good harvest and producers’ efforts to contain prices,” Leonov said. The category includes staples such as cabbage, potatoes, onions, beets and carrots, which are commonly used in the national dish borscht, as well as in a range of other traditional meals.

According to data from Rusprodsoyuz, as of December 15, 2025, cabbage prices had dropped by 27.7% compared with the previous year. Potatoes saw a decline of 24.2%, while onion prices fell by 18%. Beets were down 15.2%, and carrots fell by 9%.

The decline in vegetable prices is contributing to a broader easing of inflationary pressures in the Russian economy. In a separate report, analysts at Sberbank's Centre for Macroeconomic Research said inflation in Russia was expected to fall to 5.7% by the end of 2025—its lowest level in five years. The figure marks a significant improvement from 2024, when the inflation rate was 9.5%, according to the same study.

The moderation in consumer price growth follows a period of volatility driven by currency depreciation, sanctions-related supply disruptions, and global commodity price fluctuations. Lower food prices, particularly in key categories like vegetables, are likely to offer some relief to households amid ongoing economic uncertainty.

Leonov noted that the price reductions reflect “producers’ efforts to contain prices,” alongside favourable weather conditions that supported crop yields in 2025. Russia remains one of the world’s largest producers of root vegetables and other crops key to domestic consumption.

The inflation report by Sberbank’s analysts projected continued price stabilisation, driven by improving supply chains and government support for the agricultural sector.