It is customary to call a consumer basket a certain set of goods and socially necessary services for a person that are needed for a normal life during the year (based on this indicator, the subsistence minimum is calculated). Every year, the authorities revise and do everything so that Russians have everything to maintain a normal standard of living, it is not surprising that today many people think about will the consumer basket increase in 2018, and news on this issue is very common today.
The authorities figured out the consequences a little and now they are very close to the normalization of the social life of the population. This is manifested in the fact that the authorities made a decision during 2017-2018 to redistribute the volume of the consumer basket, in particular, to replace part of meat products and cereals with vegetables or fruits. This decision was made against the background of the fact that flour products are becoming less and less popular (this is especially evident in the purchase of cakes and pastries), and healthy food is in great demand today.
The implementation of the changes is planned in the fall of 2017, but it is in 2018 that the consumer basket must be revised without fail (according to the law), because this happens every five years and the last change took place just in the 13th year. According to the statements of the Ministry of Labor, it will be drawn up in accordance with all the rules for improving the quality of food for Russians. What does this proposal mean? The fact is that now, when forming the basket, the recommendations of nutritionists will be taken into account, because they will have to comply with the rules of a healthy diet. 
In general, for the country, the minimum is set for each region separately (based on the size of wages in the region), but the set of products and services that are vital for every Russian does not change. It must be said that in the event that a person's income is less than that established by law, then the state assigns him a material subsidy.
Perhaps, on the eve of the new presidential elections, people with low income will be able to receive material benefits or some kind of intangible benefits from the government. However, the state budget today is in a rather deplorable state and the debts of Russians are gradually increasing, so it is definitely not worth relying too much on help. Although the authorities are planning to reduce the number of people who live below the poverty line today, there is definitely hope for a better future.
Formation of a "new" basket
According to the requirements of the Ministry of Health, the new consumer basket should contain as little cereals, flour products and potatoes as possible, which have a detrimental effect on the health of the nation and do not bring the body a normal amount of vitamins and minerals. Flour products will decrease by 30 kg, and potatoes will decrease by 10 kg. At the same time, the quantitative content of vegetables will increase significantly, and there will be more fruits. 40 kg (now the average Russian should eat 100 kg of fruit products in a year). The amount of meat and fish will increase slightly, and dairy products will not undergo much change.
Respectively, composition of the consumer basket for 2018 will be richer, and it will be revised not only for the able-bodied population, but also for pensioners and children (each organism needs individual products). In general, the consumer basket accounts for about half of the amount of the subsistence minimum, and the rest of the money is divided equally between non-food products and essential services (the division is rather arbitrary, there is no clear information anywhere). 
What are the authorities saying?
To date consumer basket 2018 in Russia has not yet been fully determined, but the authorities are already actively discussing its project and are inclined to accept just such a set of products, which is spelled out above. The indicators of the consumer basket are used by officials to calculate the required subsistence minimum, which in 2018 will be in the range of 10-11 thousand rubles. The minimum annual budget of this Russian per person will be about 60,000 rubles.
The problem in modern economic conditions is that the annual cost of products in comparison with last year's period is increasing, so the calculation of products and their cost in the basket is rather arbitrary. Prices, according to preliminary calculations, next year will increase by about 18%, on the basis of which we can say that consumer basket value in 2018 will grow to about 11-12 thousand rubles. Social experts are confident that in this case Russians will eat much better than in their past, but do not be mistaken - their diet will by no means be called too rich (in any case, there will be differences with the Ministry of Health). 
Brief conclusion
Today, the norm of food in the basket is incredibly low (especially in comparison with other countries, because the average US resident, for example, spends about 300 American dollars on a minimum of food), and not all the products listed in the basket can be bought for the established minimum. The documents often record a lower price for goods than they actually are, and this is a certain problem that the authorities will have to solve in the near future, otherwise it will simply not work to call the country successful.
2018 is the time when Russians will elect a new president, and there is a strong likelihood that Vladimir Putin will want to remain in his post. It is unlikely that he will want to go to his future voters with dubious "baggage", therefore, it is likely that the basket will be supplemented with new goods that will make the life of Russians better.
I must admit that I almost never followed the fluctuations in the cost of packing cottage cheese, for example, or a kilogram of apples, with the deduction, perhaps, only of the general hysteria about buckwheat or eggs. That is, these ooh-ahs like "milk has risen in price by 2 rubles" did not particularly concern me. But recently, the price rise has become so rapid that even I could not help but notice how in a couple of months the cost of a kilogram of chicken fillet rose from an average of 190 rubles to 260, and a pack of low-fat cottage cheese (practically the Big Mac index) from 30 to 40, t .e. by a third. At the same time, everyone predicts that after the new year the situation will be even worse. In addition, we recently discussed prices for certain products with my friends from other regions - in general, I decided to take apart our average weekly grocery basket (with a small share of everyday manufactured goods such as household chemicals) and fix prices.
(not all the products in the photo: I was in a hypermarket with a child and did not take all the products to the 4th floor,
another package was left in the car)
(by clicking the photo will open in large size)
We have a small family: my husband and I, a ten-month-old daughter and a cat. My daughter and I eat completely at home, my husband usually has breakfast with a cup of coffee, and on weekdays he dines somewhere in a cafe, at home he only dines. A large package of Hill's food is bought for a cat about once a month (1.5 kg, ~ 820 rubles), the child is not yet on the common table, but I cook most of her food myself (I cook vegetables, cook porridge, pasta plus is still a significant share of GW), and from baby food I take canned meat (I'm afraid to give the usual one), fruit puree (for convenience: I mix it in cereals and cottage cheese, but I also give ordinary fruits) and baby cottage cheese. All products from the list are bought regularly, i.e. .about once a week (it is clear that this week, for example, I bought oatmeal, and the next - buckwheat, or with this dishwashing detergent and toilet paper, and the next - dishwashing liquid), I also bought food for a Christmas cake (flour, spices, dried fruits, nuts) and asked to punch them separately for the purity of the experiment.
During the week, bread, milk are usually bought a couple of times, sometimes something for the main course - meat, poultry or minced meat, sometimes fruits - in total, I think, for 500 rubles. in "Okey" they are tasteless and of poor quality, that's another 300-400 rubles.
1. Meat / poultry:
Homemade mince (pork + beef) 178.12 rubles (244 rubles / kg)
Chilled chicken fillet 194.06 rubles (254 rubles / kg) - just a few months ago it was definitely worth less than 200 rubles per kg.
I rarely take fish, because we don't like her very much.
Here is another photo from the hypermarket from the respective departments:
2. Dairy products / eggs:
Milk "House in the village" 2.5% 1 liter 47.90 rub. x 2 bottles (I take what is in transparent plastic bottles - this is my personal compromise between perishable milk and one that can be stored for six months)
Butter "House in the village" 82.5% 82.40 rubles. x 2 packs (I used to buy either Valio or Fin, I really liked the quality, now I can't find something good butter)
Danone Soft Curd 34.90 rub. x 2 packages
Cheese "Russian" 133.67 rubles. (434 RUB / kg)
Low-fat cottage cheese "Golden Meadows" 200 g 39.40 rubles. x 3 packages. As long as I live in Omsk, I eat this particular cottage cheese, because the local one costs the same, but in terms of quality it is much inferior, and the imported "Cheerful milkmen" and "Houses in the village" are more expensive - about 50 rubles for a 180-gram pack.
Eggs 10 pcs. 1st grade (it has been read that eggs are smaller - from younger chickens and are healthier than selected ones) 48.40 rub.
Mozzarella, mascarpone - Belarusian. The Danish Brie Castello is so rubbish that it doesn't even get sanctioned: 
3. Cereals / cereals / bread.
Oat flakes "Clear sun" 500 g 38.90 rub.
4 cereal flakes "Clear sun" 375 g 33.50 rub.
Bread "Corn with cheese" 37.90 rub.
Bread "With cheese and ham" 30.21 rub
Bread - from Okevskaya bakery, I took it simply because there should always be at home, tk. husband eats EVERYTHING with him. In general, in okay bread is so-so, in a nearby store it is much tastier - a loaf of wheat costs about 20 rubles.
Here I will add a photo of all the groceries and spices.
The cost of a consumer basket in Moscow, in stores of different price categories. The price index is based on the calculation of the cost of the minimum consumer basket.
Product selection
Products were selected based on the price category of the store, ease of choice, etc. This means that in Pyaterochka we will not choose the most expensive butter, and in Auchan we will look for a certain product, provided that it is easier to get a similar one from the shelf. We take the products that are on the shelf! If one sugar disappears, we take the one that is closer in price.
The composition of the consumer basket
The products and the required annual volumes are selected in accordance with the "Law on the Consumer Basket" of 2012. The volume of the consumer basket for the working-age population on average per year:
- Bread, pasta, cereals in terms of flour - 126,5 kg
- Potato - 100,4 kg
- Melons and gourds - 114,6 kg
- Fresh fruits - 60 kg
- Sugar and confectionery in terms of sugar - 23,8 kg
- Meat products - 58,6 kg
- Fish products - 18,5 kg
- Milk and dairy products in terms of milk - 290 kg (but we take liters)
- Eggs - 210 PC
- Vegetable oil margarine and fats - 11,0 kg
- Other products (salt, tea, spices) - 4,9 kg
total cost consumer baskets (products + goods + services) according to the law is double the value grocery consumer basket.
Prices in Pyaterochka we take on the cheapest products.
Prices at the Crossroads, ABC of taste and Seventh Continent- for products of medium and high price category.
Prices in Auchan- products that are popular and easy to find.
We do not compare prices in different stores, we calculate the cost of a grocery basket and, for the sake of completeness, we calculate it for different products in different stores.
The organization of food in the volume of the consumer basket can be carried out in accordance with the approximate diet developed by the State Duma Committee on Health Protection. However, the rate of consumption of fresh fruit is puzzling. It does not at all correspond to the recommendations of nutritionists and is clearly underestimated. But the consumption of eggs is much higher than the recommended norm:. This corresponds to 150-160 pcs. a year, but not 210.
The consumer basket is a fairly important indicator of the economic development of any country. It clearly shows the level of well-being of citizens. Depending on the subsistence minimum and the size of the minimum wage, which are established by the state, the composition of the consumer basket is different. In some countries, the list even includes luxury items such as dating on internet sites. In other states, this indicator is very scarce and does not even provide the necessary food. It all depends on how the country's economy can meet the basic needs of its population.
What determines the size of the consumer basket
The Constitution of the Russian Federation, the main law of the country, proclaims our state as legal, democratic and socially oriented. This means that the government is trying to provide its citizens with decent living conditions, a guaranteed minimum.
For the calculation, certain uniform standards are used, which are guaranteed by law. They allow you to determine the minimum needs of people, which are calculated according to a special basic methodology and are enshrined in the norm.
The main indicators in our country are:
- living wage;
- minimal salary;
These are the three basic building blocks on which the economy rests. The subsistence minimum, like the consumer basket, has different indicators in different regions of the Russian Federation.
Products, goods and services
The living wage for all residents of Russia is established by the Law of the Russian Federation No. 134. It was adopted on October 24, 1997.
If we speak by the letter of the law, then the living wage of a person is the cost of a consumer basket and mandatory payments and fees. If a person does not provide himself with a living wage fixed by the state, he has the right to receive benefits and benefits, subsidies and other types of guaranteed assistance. Simply put, he is below the poverty line when he cannot provide for his own basic needs for various reasons. Then the state comes to his aid.
The consumer basket of a Russian is a certain set of food products, everyday goods, clothing and footwear, as well as some necessary services, without which the vital activity and normal life of a person is impossible. Simply put, this is a necessary minimum for every citizen of Russia.
The composition of the consumer basket directly depends on the economic well-being of the country. It differs significantly in different states. The higher the welfare of the country, the more the consumer basket is filled. So, all calculations are made based on how full the state budget is. 
What's more important
Although all calculations (the sum of some taxes, contributions, payments, administrative fines, and so on) are based on the basic living wage, the consumer basket is still a more important economic indicator. It is on its basis that economists calculate the money that is necessary for the existence of each person. It also directly affects the formation of the budget.
Calculations are made at two levels:
- Throughout the Russian Federation, it is determined what should be the consumer basket in Russia in its monetary and commodity equivalent. This is done by the government of the country and the tripartite commission for the regulation of social and labor relations. Then this norm is enshrined in federal law.
- Each subject of the Federation separately sets for itself what is included in the consumer basket and what its monetary equivalent will be. It depends not only on the economic condition of the region. It also takes into account such components as the need of the local population for certain goods, climate, traditions, and so on.
How often changes are made
The living wage in each region is reviewed every quarter and can change in one direction or another four times a year. This is normal and legal.
But the minimum consumer basket is determined for the next five years. It was last revised in December 2012 (Federal Law No. 227). Therefore, there are no plans to revise this indicator this year. Although at the end of 2014, some changes and additions were made. It is clear that if the consumer basket was determined three or four years ago, and during this time food and goods have risen in price, then the price growth of the basket itself also occurs. It becomes more expensive in monetary terms.
The law (in particular, article 2) clearly states what is included in the consumer basket. It takes into account the main social and demographic subgroups of the population.
Clear ratio
It is worth noting that the products of the consumer basket are defined by a specific clear list. Consumption rates are indicated in kilograms and liters per year. But the goods in the consumer basket in the list are designated as the ratio in price with food, which is expressed as a percentage. 
Simply put, the amount of goods and services should be 50 percent of the cost of food.
Thus, in order to find out the total price of the consumer basket, it is necessary to multiply the cost of grocery goods by two.
It is easier to remember this data using this formula:
Grocery products + non-food products (they make up 50 percent of the products) + services (also half of the cost of the grocery basket) = consumer basket.
Even according to this scheme, it is clear that half of your income has to be spent on feeding yourself.
What should be included in the consumer basket
So, with the percentage, everything is clear, now let's move on to filling. The consumer basket is divided into three categories, which include:
- Food products, namely: cereals, flour products, vegetables, meat, fish, dairy products and others.
- Non-food items: clothing, footwear, household appliances, medicines.
- Utilities and other services: payment for housing, water, heat, electricity, gas, as well as the cost of public transport, hiking in cultural places, etc.
In 2015, the Russian government, for example, decided to somewhat reduce the amount of bakery products (up to 127 kg) and potatoes (the norm is 101 kg) per person. But the amount of meat has been increased - the norm is 59 kg per year. The indicators of fish have also increased - up to 19 kg and dairy products. The norm of milk, kefir and sour cream is 293 liters for each resident of Russia.
Another feature is that greens are added to the diet. So in the food category, the changes were significant. But there are practically no changes in the other two categories of the consumer basket.
What will they feed us?
If we consider the norms of the consumer basket for Moscow and Muscovites, then this is the picture. Every citizen can consume per day: 
- 370 grams of bread;
- 290 grams of potatoes;
- 370 grams of vegetables;
- 180 grams of fruit;
- 780 grams of dairy and fermented milk products;
- 60 grams of sweets;
- half an egg;
- 70 grams of fish;
- 180 meat.
In addition, the composition of the necessary products includes vegetable oil, tea, fats, and so on. Such foods are required in the diet. As you can see, there are no cheeses, seafood, alcohol, sugary drinks, delicacies here.
It should be noted that the consumer basket in Moscow is designed for three main groups of the population. These are children, working people and pensioners. At the same time, the cost of living is:
- per capita - 12,145 rubles;
- for pensioners - 8,528 rubles;
- for children - 10 443 rubles
Three categories of citizens
The calculation of the subsistence minimum for the capital takes into account the specifics of the region. For example, if in the whole country services should be 50 percent of food, then in Moscow (for the able-bodied population) they are within 127 percent. For pensioners and children, this ratio is slightly lower - 75 percent. 
It should be noted that the consumer basket for the working-age population, pensioners and children has some differences. It is related to basic needs and age. So, for pensioners, the norms of foodstuffs and, accordingly, goods and services are lower by about 10 percent. As for children, here the norms of fruits and vegetables are higher than for the able-bodied population. This is due to the fact that a growing body requires more vitamins and fiber. This was reflected.
There are also geographical features. In the Murmansk region, for example, the number of food products that are included in the consumer basket is greater than in central Russia. But the consumption rate of vegetables is lower than in other regions of Russia.
Every time, before approving new norms of the consumer basket, a thorough consultation with specialists - doctors and nutritionists - takes place. Guided by their recommendations, the commission makes a list of products and their quantity.
What needs to be completed
Naturally, the consumer basket of any country is a guaranteed minimum set of products, goods and services. Therefore, there are constant proposals to expand this list, to supplement it with the necessary items of expenditure. Indeed, every year more and more services and goods appear, without which everyday life becomes impossible or incomplete.
Legislators and public figures of Russia propose to include such important aspects: 
- help from a hired nanny (very important due to the shortage of places in kindergartens);
- services for paid medicine;
- home and vehicle insurance;
- rental housing;
- computers, laptops, etc.
In general, there are proposals to supplement the consumer basket by nine items.
Of course, these are things without which the life of a modern person is extremely difficult to imagine today. And naturally, the new standard of living should be reflected in the consumer basket. But behind every line item there must be a clear business case.
What do they have?
Of course, it is always interesting how things stand with similar indicators in other countries? What is the size of the consumer basket, for example, in Europe?
Yes, in comparison with European countries, the Russian basket will look somewhat meager. At the moment there are only 156 main names of products, goods and services in it. But in Great Britain there are more than 700, in Germany - 475. In France there are 250 items in the consumer basket, in the USA - 300, in England - 350. At the same time, in Great Britain, the composition of the consumer basket is adjusted annually. And there are positions there, to which we are still very far away. These are, for example, the cost of purchasing e-books, paying for various mobile dating applications, as well as paying for the Internet, mobile communications and other "entertainment".
What is the reason for this? Naturally, with the general state of affairs in the country's economy. The richer the state, the more it can afford to include names in this important socio-economic indicator. The lower the economic level of the country, the fewer items of obligatory goods and services in the consumer basket.
Pensions and subsidies depend on the basket
You can't just take and write in the positions that are necessary. After all, the law on the consumer basket assumes that such an important indicator as inflation is calculated on the basis of its value, as well as the size of pension benefits, social benefits and state subsidies is determined. Therefore, you cannot just add to the list those products and goods that you would like. After all, an increase in the living wage will lead to additional social burdens on the state. Will it then be able to fulfill its obligations?
Therefore, if you ask a person to at least roughly draw up his personal calculation of the consumer basket, then it will differ significantly from the official one.
Some more interesting facts
It's clear with the products that make up the consumer basket. But it is interesting what else is determined by this norm and for how many years. 
As for domestic services, every Russian of working age can spend 285 liters of water per day, both hot and cold. Agree, this is very generous! A month, according to the calculations of the consumer basket, it is possible to burn 10 cubic meters of natural gas, and also consume only 50 kW of electricity. So you have to be more economical with electricity.
And here are some interesting data on outerwear. According to the norms of the consumer basket, an able-bodied person is entitled to three items of the "upper coat group". And not for a year, but for 7 and a half years. But after all, in different weather, appropriate clothing is also needed - a fur coat, a jacket, a coat, a windbreaker and so on. And then it turns out that you can buy a new jacket once every 8-10 years! Women should wear a skirt very carefully, considering that it should last 5 years. But shoes are supposed to be more - two pairs a year. Skeptics will say: how can you wear only two pairs for a whole year? A bra is designed for 3 years, a business suit for 5 years, and trousers for 4 years.
But here it is worth recalling once again that the Russian consumer's basket determines only the necessary minimum. And remember that with the growth of the country's well-being, the norms of the consumer basket also grow.
The consumer basket is one of the basic concepts of the economy. In Russia, it is of no small importance for calculating the minimum wage and other social benefits. The composition of the consumer basket and its value in the country are regularly updated and changed taking into account certain realities. Today, for example, many are interested in what the consumer basket will be in 2016.
How the consumer basket is formed
The consumer basket is an abstract set that includes not only goods, but also services. Based on it, the minimum consumer budget is calculated. It is often used as a basis for determining purchasing power.
This concept exists in all leading economies in the world. And when compared with civilized European countries and America, in Russia the value of the consumer basket is significantly lower. So, for example, in the States it includes about 300 goods and services, in England - 350, in Germany - 475, and in Russia - 156.
Somewhere every few years, the items included in the basket and its value are reviewed and a new option is being developed that better meets the current needs of consumers. It is assumed that the basket includes those goods and services that allow a person to live comfortably for one year (calculations are made for a year). However, if we consider the composition of the consumer basket in more detail, one can understand that most of the figures are simply underestimated and do not reflect modern realities at all. Therefore, the reasoning that the 2016 consumer basket in Russia should be modernized is not based on an empty space.
There are different types of consumer basket, which are calculated according to the category of citizens for which they are intended. For example, a basket is allocated for children, pensioners and working citizens. And for each of them, special groups of goods are calculated according to the needs of the group.
What will be included in the consumer basket in 2016
The composition of the consumer basket for 2016 is something that interests many. After all, the general standard of living directly depends on what is put into it at the official level.
Naturally, most of the list is food. Food is the main part of the consumer basket, because a person cannot live without food. For comparison: in Western countries, food only takes up a quarter of the basket. The explanation for this discrepancy is quite simple: in the West, the basket is richer, and not so much money from the budgets of each family in Russia is spent on food.
The basket also includes clothing and household items, shoes and medicines. The third conditional group implies various kinds of services. If we consider it in detail, these are, of course, utility bills, payment for transport. At the same time, despite the rather modest bookmarks of finance in the consumer basket, it provides for spending on attending cultural events.
If you translate everything into solid and more understandable numbers, you get the following picture. For an adult, the Government allocated for a year:
- a ton of potatoes;
- almost 115 kg of vegetables;
- 60 kg of fruit;
- about 127 kg of bread and flour products;
- 59 kg of meat;
- 18 kg of fish.
When recalculating such data into daily norms, one can understand that an adult working person is allowed to eat 300 g of bread, 280 g of potatoes, 800 g of milk and other products from it, 50 g of fish, 160 g of meat per day. It is no coincidence that many consider such figures simply mocking, because they do not stand up to any special criticism.
How much is the consumer basket estimated in 2016
Against the background of determining the composition of the basket, its cost is also interesting. According to analysts, the cost of the consumer basket in 2016 is on average about 10,000 rubles. But again, it all depends on the region where the calculations are made, as well as on which stores people buy this very set of products. For example, if these are purchases in shops from the economy series, the cost of a consumer basket can be about 5,000 rubles.
How does such a basket increase in value?
The consumer basket in 2016 in Russia, the latest news on which many are eagerly awaiting, in theory should increase and change. Analysts attribute this to a sharp change in the situation in the country, when the incomes of many have sagged. However, if you rely on the practice of recent years, it is worthwhile to understand that there is not much in the basket to increase and improve qualitatively.
It rose insignificantly before, adding 3-4 percent each (which is less than the level of official inflation), but today it has lagged behind hopelessly. After all, a sharp rise in the price level, a decrease in the incomes of Russians, and the general debt burden of the country's inhabitants have made such baskets literally empty. It is simply impossible to feed oneself and feed a family based on such parameters.
The changes in 2015, which are already planned and carried out, will also put their mark on its composition and cost. So, for example, in 2015, as experts note, the consumer basket became healthier. It reduced the content of bakery products, reduced the consumption of meat and fish, added more fruits, vegetables and herbs. For the most part, only the grocery part of the basket was changed, leaving the other two unchanged.
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