Wednesday, September 2, 2026 The English edition of ostwirtschaft.de Newsletter
Eastern Economy.
Economic intelligence on Eastern Europe, the Caucasus & Central Asia
Tajikistan will raise public sector salaries by up to 25 percent effective September 1; the minimum wage will increase by 30 percent to the equivalent of about $141 per month.
September 2, 2026
Russia Economic Briefing
In partnership with the German-Russian Chamber of Commerce (Deutsch-Russische Auslandshandelskammer)
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Since numerous foreign cosmetics companies withdrew from Russia in 2022, Russian manufacturers have been gaining an increasing share of the market. According to the National Consumer Protection Association, the market share was…
September 1, 2026

Data & Tools

Economic Terminals
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What Kommersant, RBC and Vedomosti report — summarized in English every morning, plus a live wire.
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Curated economy-only headlines from Central Asia, the Caucasus and Central Europe — in English.
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120 head-to-head country comparisons: GDP, rates, inflation, productive sectors at PPP.
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Set the oil price and ruble rate, see the deficit — built on the 2026 budget law.

Latest Analysis

Poland's corporate profits jump 29.1%; investments rise 13.7%
Profits up 29.1%: Poland's non-financial companies saw a sharp increase in their gross financial results in the first half of 2026. The Polish Central Statistical Office (GUS) reported this on August 24.…
August 31, 2026
Kazakhstan Projects 5.3% Growth: The 2027 Budget Calls for 30.2 Trillion Tenge in Spending
5.3% growth in 2027, 5.5% in 2028, 5.4% in 2029: These are the targets set by the Kazakh government in its new economic forecast. The…
August 31, 2026
116 of 153 kilometers laid: TAPI gas is expected to reach Herat in two months
Afghanistan's Herat Province is set to receive its first shipment of Turkmen natural gas via the TAPI pipeline within two months, marking Turkmenistan's first new market in a decade and a half.
August 31, 2026
The Future Is Here: AI Is Making Its Way Into the Day-to-Day Operations of Russian Companies
Today, millions upon millions of people around the globe use AI models in their daily lives, while CEOs are exploring optimal AI-driven business models to cut costs and maximize profits. The transformation…
August 30, 2026
New Russian Economic Model Aims to Bring About a Turnaround
“Russia’s economic model has nearly reached its limits; the new cycle must be structured differently—and this must begin as early as 2027.” With these cautionary words, …
August 29, 2026
Fast Food in Russia: Growth, Price Pressure, Expansion Eastward
According to market research firm BusinessStat, Russia's restaurant market has doubled in revenue since 2021, reaching 4.29 bio rubles—equivalent to approximately 45 billion euros. No segment accounts for…
August 28, 2026
Azerbaijan's oil fund holds $73.5 billion: Gold accounts for 36% of the total
At the end of March, the Azerbaijani sovereign wealth fund SOFAZ managed $73.5 billion. This amounts to 93.2% of the economic output that the rating agency Fitch forecasts for 2026. Gold is…
August 28, 2026
Hungary's gross wages are now rising by only 7.1%
The average gross monthly wage in Hungary was 754,700 forints in June, equivalent to about 2,073 euros. That is 7.1% more than a year earlier. The Hungarian…
August 28, 2026
Inflation at 6.4%: Uzbekistan's Central Bank Signals a Shift in Interest Rate Policy
Uzbekistan's inflation rate has fallen to 6.4%; Central Bank Governor Ishmetov believes an interest rate cut is still possible in 2026; and Goldman Sachs and BlackRock are reportedly advising on how to invest the country's record reserves of $77.1 billion.
August 28, 2026
KD
The Chronicles
Klaus Dormann
One of the leading chroniclers of the Russian economy — tracking industry, trade and finance for decades, from Ruhrgas and E.ON to today's sanctions economy.
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Perspectives on the economies of the South Caucasus.