

Determinants of the inflation expectations’ uncertainty based on the all-Russian survey
https://doi.org/10.32609/0042-8736-2025-6-63-93
Abstract
The study is based on a unique survey conducted by the Public Opinion Foundation (inFOM) as part of the Bank of Russia’s inflation expectations (IE) monitoring in May 2024. The survey is representative of the Russian population. Uncertainty of inflation expectations (IEU) is approximately 10 percentage points and increases with both higher inflation expectations and the respondent’s age. IEU is higher among those who believe the time is suitable for purchases, lower among men, and decreases with higher levels of education. To measure IEU, the survey introduced new questions in addition to the traditional one that asked respondents to choose a single interval for expected inflation in 12 months. These new questions asked about the relative likelihood of inflation falling within each proposed interval. The estimates of inflation expectations based on these new questions were lower than those based on the traditional single-question method.
Keywords
JEL: C81, D12, E52
About the Authors
I. N. GurovRussian Federation
Ilya N. Gurov
Moscow
D. A. Elitsur
Russian Federation
Darya A. Elitsur
Moscow
V. E. Zuev
Russian Federation
Vasily E. Zuev
Moscow
Ju. I. Krotova
Russian Federation
Julia I. Krotova
Saint Petersburg
E. A. Ostrovskaya
Russian Federation
Elena A. Ostrovskaya
Saratov
H. I. Penikas
Russian Federation
Henry I. Penikas
Moscow
References
1. Andreev A., Grishchenko V., Lymar M., Orlov D., Shubin I. (2024). Factors in the formation of inflation expectations as recorded in the Russian national survey of consumer finance. Ekonomicheskaya Politika, No. 19, pp. 54—83. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.18288/1994-5124-2024-5-54-83
2. Vymyatnina Y., Polyakova E. (2021). Evolution of approaches to modeling inflation expectations. Finansy i Biznes, No. 17, pp. 29—51. (In Russian). http://www.doi.org/10.31085/1814-4802-2021-17-1-29-51
3. Goloshchapova I., Andreev M. (2017). Estimation of Russian population’s inflation expectations using machine learning methods. Voprosy Ekonomiki, No. 6, pp. 71—93. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.32609/0042-8736-2017-6-71-93
4. Gurov I. (2023). Assessment of inflation-expectation uncertainty based on surveys. Paper presented at the 5th Russian Economic Congress, Ekaterinburg, September 11—15. (In Russian). http://www.econorus.org/con2023/files/2t6y.pdf
5. Evstigneeva A. (2023). Communication as a monetary policy instrument. Analytical note. Moscow: Bank of Russia.
6. Evstigneeva A., Sidorovsky M. (2021). Assessment of clarity of Bank of Russia monetary policy communication by neural network approach. Russian Journal of Money and Finance, No. 3, pp. 3—33. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.31477/rjmf.202103.03
7. Zhemkov M., Kuznetsova O. (2017). Measuring inflation expectations in Russia using stock market data. Voprosy Ekonomiki, No. 10, pp. 111—122. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.32609/0042-8736-2017-10-111-122
8. inFOM (2024). Measuring inflation expectations and consumer sentiment based on population surveys, Wave 135, May. (In Russian).
9. Kuzina O., Abduramanov A., Moiseeva D. (2024). Financial literacy of Russians: The relationship with sociodemographic and psychological characteristics. Voprosy Ekonomiki, No. 9, pp. 107—137. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.32609/0042-8736-2024-9-107-137
10. Kokorev R. (ed.) (2021). Financial literacy: A тextbook. Moscow: Moscow University Press. (In Russian).
11. Penikas H. (2008). Consumer behavior evolution analysis in Russia during 2000– 2005. HSE Economic Journal, No. 12, pp. 512—542. (In Russian).
12. Ranneva N. (2019). Inflation expectations: An overview of modern approaches. Voprosy Ekonomiki, No. 2, pp. 54—80. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.32609/0042-8736-2019-2-54-80
13. Khazanov A. (2015). On the quantification of inflation expectations by the Bank of Russia. Russian Journal of Money and Finance, No. 3, pp. 59—63. (In Russian).
14. Yudaeva K. (2023). All-Russia household consumer finance survey — 2022: A presentation. (In Russian). https://www.cbr.ru/Content/Document/File/145947/presentation_31-03-2023.pdf
15. Abildgren K., Kuchler A. (2021). Revisiting the inflation perception conundrum. Journal of Macroeconomics, No. 67, article 103264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmacro.2020.103264
16. Armantier O., Bruin W. B. de, Potter S., Topa G., van der Klaauw W., Zafar B. (2013). Measuring inflation expectations. Annual Review of Economics, Vol. 9, No. 5, pp. 273—301. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-economics-081512-141510
17. Artzner P., Delbaen F., Eber J.-M., Heath D. (1999). Coherent measures of risk. Mathematical Finance, Vol. 7, No. 9, pp. 203—228. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9965.00068
18. Berument M. H., Dincer N. N., Mustafaoglu Z. (2012). Effects of growth volatility on economic performance — empirical evidence from Turkey. European Journal of Operational Research, Vol. 217, No. 2, pp. 351—356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2011.09.026
19. Bhar R., Mallik G. (2010). Inflation, inflation uncertainty and output growth in the USA. Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, No. 389, pp. 5503—5510. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physa.2010.06.063
20. Boelart J., Gardes F., Langlois S. (2017). Convergence des consommations entre classes socioéconomiques et contraintes non monétaires au Canada. L’Actualité économique, Vol. 93, No. 93, pp. 497—529. https://doi.org/10.7202/1058592ar
21. Bruine de Bruin W., van der Klaauw W., van Rooij M., Teppa F., de Vos K. (2017). Measuring expectations of inflation: Effects of survey mode, wording, and opportunities to revise. Journal of Economic Psychology, Vol. 59, pp. 45—58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2017.01.011
22. Bruin W. B. de, Manski C. F., Topa G., van der Klaauw W. (2011). Measuring consumer uncertainty about future inflation. Journal of Applied Econometrics, Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 454—478. https://doi.org/10.1002/jae.1239
23. Caglayan M., Kandemir O., Mouratidis K. (2012). The impact of inflation uncertainty on economic growth: А MRS-IV approach. Research Report. Department of Economics, University of Sheffield.
24. Cukierman A., Meltzer A. H. (1986). A theory of ambiguity, credibility, and inflation under discretion and asymmetric information. Econometrica: Journal of the Econometric Society, Vol. 54, No. 5, pp. 1099—1128. https://doi.org/10.2307/1912324
25. Fisher I. (1911). The purchasing power of money. New York: Macmillan.
26. Fountas S. (2010). Inflation, inflation uncertainty and growth: Are they related? Economic Modelling, Vol. 27, No. 5, pp. 896—899. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econmod.2010.06.001
27. Friedman M. (1957). A theory of the consumption function. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691188485
28. Garcia J. A., Werner T. (2010). Inflation risks and inflation risk premia. ECB Working Paper, No. 1162. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1569383
29. Gelain P., Iskrev N., Lansing K. J., Mendicino C. (2019). Inflation dynamics and adaptive expectations in an estimated DSGE model. Journal of Macroeconomics, Vol. 59, pp. 258—277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmacro.2018.12.002
30. Georgarakos D., Gorodnichenko Y., Coibion O., Kenny G. (2024). The causal effects of inflation uncertainty on households’ beliefs and actions. NBER Working Paper, No. 33014. http://www.doi.org/10.3386/w33014
31. Golob J. E. (1994). Does inflation uncertainty increase with inflation? Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Economic Review, Vol. 79, pp. 27—38.
32. Heckman J. J., Lochner L. J., Todd P. E. (2006). Earnings functions, rates of return and treatment effects: The Mincer equation and beyond. In: E. A. Hanushek, F. Welch (eds.). Handbook of the economics of education, Vol. 1. Publication. Amsterdam: North Holland, pp. 21—44. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1574-0692 (06)01007-5
33. Holland A. S. (1993). Uncertain effects of money and the link between the inflation rate and inflation uncertainty. Economic Inquiry, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 39—51. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1465-7295.1993.tb00864.x
34. Hume D. (1752). Political discourses. 2nd ed. Edinburg: R. Fleming.
35. Jansen D. W. (1989). Does inflation uncertainty affect output growth? Further evidence. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Review, July/August, pp. 44—55.
36. Kang J., Pflueger C. E. (2015). Inflation risk in corporate bonds. The Journal of Finance, Vol. 70, No. 1, pp. 115—162. https://doi.org/10.1111/jofi.12195
37. Kostyshyna O., Petersen L. (2024). The effects of communicating inflation uncertainty on household expectations. NBER Working Paper, No. 32939. https://doi.org/10.3386/w32939
38. Kumo W. L. (2015). Inflation targeting monetary policy, inflation volatility and economic growth in South Africa. African Development Bank Group Working Paper, No. 216.
39. Lebow D., Detmeister A., Peneva E. (2016). Inflation perceptions and inflation expectations. FEDS Notes, December 5. https://doi.org/10.17016/2380-7172.1882
40. Londono J. M., Ma S., Wilson B. A. (2023). Global inflation uncertainty and its economic effects. FEDS Notes, September 25. https://doi.org/10.17016/2380-7172.3391
41. Lucas R. E. Jr. (1972). Expectations and the neutrality of money. Journal of Economic Theory, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 103—124. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-0531(72)90142-1
42. Manski C. F. (2018). Survey measurement of probabilistic macroeconomic expectations: Рrogress and promise. NBER Macroeconomics Annual, Vol. 32, pp. 411—471. https://doi.org/10.1086/696061
43. Slobodyan S., Wouters R. (2021). Survey expectations and learning. Russian Journal of Money and Finance, Vol. 80, pp. 3—27. https://doi.org/10.31477/rjmf.202102.03
44. Wilson B. K. (2006). The links between inflation, inflation uncertainty and output growth: New time series evidence from Japan. Journal of Macroeconomics, Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 609—620. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmacro.2004.11.004
Supplementary files
Review
For citations:
Gurov I.N., Elitsur D.A., Zuev V.E., Krotova J.I., Ostrovskaya E.A., Penikas H.I. Determinants of the inflation expectations’ uncertainty based on the all-Russian survey. Voprosy Ekonomiki. 2025;(6):63-93. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.32609/0042-8736-2025-6-63-93