Seasonal vegetables and heating became noticeably more expensive in November, according to data from Belstat. Monthly inflation for the period reached 0.4%, while annual inflation accelerated to 7%.
Prices for fresh cucumbers increased by 34.18% compared to October, sweet peppers by 26.03%, cabbage by 18.88%, and fresh tomatoes by 9.77%.
Heating costs also rose by 8.66%. Although heating tariffs themselves did not change, the billing rules for housing and communal services were updated on 1 October. Under the new system, if an apartment belongs to a person not employed in the economy, higher tariffs apply to all consumed services. Previously, the higher rate applied only to the “non-working” share, while other residents paid subsidized tariffs. November was the first month when Belarusians paid under the new rules, which likely explains the increase reflected in Belstat’s data.
International travel services saw the steepest price drop in November — by 9.85%. Prices for exotic fruits also fell: avocados by 7.32%, bananas by 4.19%. November also marked the introduction of MART-regulated prices for state-purchased potatoes, which fell by an average of 4.09%.
Since the beginning of the year, the largest price increases were recorded for cocoa (+74.1%), apples (+54.98%), ground coffee (+35.02%), driving lessons (+33.6%), salted herring (+27.68%), and chocolate (+24.55%).
The sharpest declines since January were seen in seasonal agricultural products: garlic (-33.71%), grapes (-27.13%), tomatoes (-19.48%), sweet peppers (-15.37%), rice (-13.59%), and pears (-12.98%).