Russian inflation is too high. Does that matter?
In a strong economy, price pressure can endure for a long time
While inflation has cooled almost everywhere, in Russia it is hotting up. Consumer prices rose by 9.5% year on year in December, up from 8.9% the previous month and uncomfortably above the central bank’s target of 4% (see chart). The prices of fruit and vegetables have risen by more than 20% on average in the past year. In a normal country, this sort of high inflation would be unsustainable. But Russia is not a normal country.
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This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Putin up prices”
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