Russian authorities are increasingly restricting access to core government statistics, including economic, demographic and crime data, as concerns grow over a potential economic slowdown, analysts at the state-owned Promsvyazbank (PSB) said in a new report.

The escalation follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s call to avoid a recession, a move that analysts at PSB note has resulted in the state statistics service Rosstat withholding several key macroeconomic figures for June and the first half of 2025.

Among the missing data were inflation-adjusted retail and wholesale trade figures. Rosstat reported a nominal 12.2% year-on-year rise in retail turnover for June but omitted the real, inflation-adjusted number. PSB analysts estimate real growth may be closer to 2-3%.

Wholesale trade data raised further concerns. Although Rosstat cited a nominal 0.4% increase, PSB said real turnover likely dropped by as much as 10%, continuing a months-long decline.