MOSCOW, March 31 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's consolidated budget surplus rose 3.9% year-on-year in January 2009 to 582.9 billion rubles ($17 billion), the state statistics service said on Tuesday, citing Federal Treasury data.

The consolidated budget comprises the federal budget, consolidated regional budgets, and the budgets of government non-budget funds (the Pension, Social Insurance and Compulsory Medical Insurance Funds).

Russia's consolidated budget surplus grew 1.23% year-on-year in 2008 to 2.01 trillion rubles ($59.4 billion). However, in December the consolidated budget posted a deficit of 1.37 trillion rubles ($40.3 billion) for the first time in recent years.