UrBC, Moscow, December 18, 2018. Russians spend 31.2% of their monthly disposable incomes on groceries; for the Ukrainians, the figure comes to more than 50%, the findings of RIA Rating’s research (commissioned by RIA Novosti) indicate.

The research focused on the spending patterns in forty different countries, including parts of Europe and Russia, Kazakhstan, and Turkey. The data available through the national statistical services, Rosstat, and the International Monetary Fund were also taken into account.

Luxembourg was No.1 in terms of how little the locals have to spend on food items: Luxembourg nationals only direct 8.7% of their consumption expenditures to groceries.

The countries where groceries make up the largest share of people’s overall consumer spending are those situated in the post-Soviet zone and in Eastern Europe. Russia comes 31st in the rating, next to Montenegro and Lithuania. In 2017, 31.2% of Russian’s consumer spending was on food items (down 1.1% on a year earlier).

Ukraine comes last on the list, with people ‘eating through’ 50.9% of their disposable money. In Kazakhstan and Moldova, the figures come to over 40%.