Russian financial system shrinks 1.7% in Jan-Sept, however capital funding up By Reuters

MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Russian financial system shrank 1.7% yr on yr from January to September, however capital funding, one of many most important financial development drivers, rose 5.9% in the identical interval, knowledge from the Rosstat federal statistics service confirmed on Wednesday.

The export-dependent financial system has withstood the impression of sweeping Western sanctions higher than initially anticipated, though the federal government nonetheless has to cope with falling actual wages, slumping retail gross sales and rising inflation.

The financial system ministry expects Russia’s gross home product (GDP) to fall 2.9% this yr, a far cry from early assumptions that the financial system might contract as a lot as 12% due to the sanctions imposed in response to what Moscow calls its “particular army operation” in Ukraine.

Capital funding rose 5.9% year-on-year between January and September to achieve 16.418 trillion roubles ($271.65 billion), Rosstat stated.

Official unemployment remained at 3.9% in October, simply above August’s file low of three.8%, Rosstat knowledge confirmed on Wednesday, however actual wages, that are adjusted for inflation, fell 1.4% yr on yr in September.

Knowledge additionally confirmed that retail gross sales, the gauge of client demand, declined 9.7% in October in year-on-year phrases after a 9.8% fall within the earlier month.

All that comes as client costs climbed for the tenth week working, maybe giving the central financial institution pause for thought. The Financial institution of Russia is extensively anticipated to maintain its key fee unchanged at 7.5% when its board meets on Dec. 16.

($1 = 60.4390 roubles)