|
Analysts polled by Reuters in late 2019 expected Russia's gross
domestic product to expand 1.2%. The central bank predicted that
the economy would grow by no more than 1.3%.
The GDP figures are closely watched by the market because the
issue of sluggish economic growth in Russia has become acute
recently, drawing attention from President Vladimir Putin, who
ordered his government to find ways to speed up the economy.
"This is the first estimate as we don't have full data yet,"
said Pavel Malkov, the head of Rosstat statistics service,
presenting the 2019 growth figure.
The reading can change in the future when Rosstat obtains more
information, Malkov told reporters.
Rosstat has revised data in the past, usually to give the
statistics a more positive hue. For example, in late 2019
Rosstat revised GDP growth figures, altering the trajectory of
Russia's 2018 economic growth to 2.5% from 2.3%.
Rosstat has said it has five readings of GDP and revisions make
numbers more accurate.
In the next few years, GDP growth is expected to pick up thanks
to state investment in large infrastructure projects, reaching
2% to 3% by 2022, according to the central bank's forecasts.
This year, the Russian economy was seen growing by 1.8%, below
the 2.5% global growth projected by the World Bank, analysts
polled in late January predicted.
(Reporting by Andrey Ostroukh, editing by Larry King)
[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
