Rosstat conducted a study of the purchasing power of Russians in 2016 and concluded that we began to eat better. At least, most of the food products became more accessible, Izvestia reported.

Purchasing power, according to sociologists, in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period of the past increased by most food, especially for vegetables. The maximum available - 40% more affordable than in 2016 - became cabbage. The second place with 30% is confidently occupied by carrots, onions - bronze and 10%. The availability of meat also increased: beef - by 3%, mutton - by 5%, and pork - by 7%.

Less affordable was clothing (shirts - 7%, men's suit-deuce - 3%). But especially noticeable decrease in purchasing power of Russians in the sphere of housing and communal services and public transport. This is due to different levels of inflation in different positions.

According to the HSE, during the entire 2016 the population most often experienced difficulties with payment of housing and communal services. By November, the share of citizens unable to pay communal services has reached 27%.

According to the Federal State Statistics Service, in the first quarter of 2017, the purchasing power of the average per capita money income of the population for housing payments in houses of state and municipal housing funds decreased by 7% compared to the same period in 2016.

The purchasing power to pay for travel in the municipal public bus decreased by 12%. This is due to increased tariffs for travel. According to the Ministry of Transport, from December 2015 to December 2016 tariffs for travel in city buses and electric trains increased by 9.4%, and in trams - by 8.7%.