Earlier, the government projected inflation at 7.5-8% in 2007, 6.5-7% in 2008, 6.3-6.8% in 2009 and 5.8-6.5% in 2010.
The service said consumer prices had risen 2.8% in the first two months of 2007, against 4.1% in the same period last year.
Prices for fruit and vegetables saw the highest increases among food products in January-February (7.8%), and tobacco increased 2.4%, the largest in the nonfood category. The prices for communal and utilities services grew 12.5%, communications 10.3%, healthcare 2.8% and education 2.2%.
Tariffs on long-distance passenger transportation increased 18.3%-22.5% in the same period, and tariffs on commuter transportation rose 2.9%.
In February, the cost of the minimum food basket increased 1.2% an average of 1,524 rubles per month in Russia, and the index has increased 3.4% since early this year.
The food basket is most expensive in Chukotka in the Russian Far East (4,990 rubles) and least expensive in Russia's Volga republics of Tatarstan (1,277 rubles) and Chuvashia (1,295).
