MOSCOW, July 8. /TASS/. Inflation in the first five months of 2018 for categories of citizens with high incomes were higher by 0.2% than for categories with low incomes, said in an interview to “Rossiyskaya Gazeta” the head of Rosstat Alexander Surinov.

“Every year we measure the inflation of the population with different incomes In the first five months of this year, the difference in the rate of growth of prices for consumer goods and services for population groups with different income levels was relatively low, at 0.2% increase in prices for goods and services in Russia on average by 1.6%. And this time, more inflation was rich,” – said Surinov.

According to him, is primarily connected with the dynamics of prices for services consumed by the population within these groups . In expenses of the population with the highest income, a significant place is occupied such items as foreign tourism, medical services, hotels, repair and maintenance of vehicles, the prices of which grew rapidly (1.0 – 4.5 percent).

“The costs of the services consumed by the population with the lowest incomes and the most significant place is occupied by utilities, which in the first five months of the year practically has not changed. As a result, prices and tariffs for services for population groups with the highest and lowest income in may compared with December of the previous year were higher by 1.3% and 0.6% respectively”, – said the head of the statistical Department.

Suriname also noted that higher inflation usually turns out to be for the poor citizens. He explained that the inflation for the poor is considered by matching the minimum subsistence level today with yesterday’s value.