The cost of vegetables required to make borscht has significantly increased in Russia over the past year, according to a report published on Thursday by the business newspaper Kommersant, which referenced data from government sources.
The so-called “borscht index” serves as a measure of economic health in Eastern European nations, as the ingredients for this traditional soup include basic food items that are staples in kitchens throughout the region.
Apart from potatoes, which experienced an extraordinary price surge of 166.5% over the last year, onions and cabbage saw the most substantial price increases among the vegetables used for borscht.
As reported by Kommersant and based on figures from the state statistics agency Rosstat, the average retail price of onions rose by 87.2% year-on-year in May, reaching 72.3 rubles ($0.91) per kilogram.
The cost of white cabbage increased by 56.8% during the same timeframe, with prices soaring to 75.2 rubles ($0.94) per kilogram.
Additionally, the price of beets rose by 11.9%, while tomatoes marginally increased by just 1.2%, according to Rosstat.
Analysts pointed out to Kommersant that poor crop yields are a primary reason for the price hike.
In one of the major growing regions, the Volgograd area, drought and water supply challenges negatively impacted onion and cabbage production, as noted by another expert speaking to Kommersant.
A farmer interviewed by the publication mentioned that the rising costs of fertilizers and agricultural chemicals have led to increased production costs for farmers.
The Agriculture Ministry has announced plans to enlarge the areas dedicated to vegetable cultivation this year, believing that this will contribute to price stabilization in the next harvest period.
Due to persistent inflation, the proportion of Russians’ income spent on food has reached its highest level since the start of the Ukraine conflict, according to analysts at Romir.
In April 2025, an average of 34.6% of household expenditures for Russians was allocated to food, rising from 33% at the beginning of the year and up from 28.6% the previous year.
