Since the 1990s the national economy has passed through a transformation period which has led to the formation of a private economic sector as the basis for market relations, with the state having only a regulatory role. In its turn the state strives to create a system that ensures the market nature of managing of the major part of its assets. The GDP of the country has grown by 20% within the last three years and investments into fixed capital have grown by more than by 30%. The physical volume of the goods export has increased by a quarter. The export of oil, petroleum products and gas has risen by 18%, which makes Russia the biggest exporter of fuel and energy resources.

The real earnings of the population have risen by 32%.

The economic growth within the last years has enabled almost four million people to find employment, the average salary rate being around 6000 roubles.

Russia exports machinery and equipment, natural gas, oil, chemicals, timber, coal, and imports electronics, domestic appliances, consumer goods.

CIS and Baltic states, China, Germany, and Turkey are the main trade partners of Russian Federation.

In 2003 USD29.7 billion of foreign investments were placed within the Russian economy, which is 1.5 times more than in 2002. Germany, the USA, Cyprus, the UK, France and the Netherlands remained the main investor countries permanently making considerable investments. 68.7% of all the accumulated foreign investments were represented by these countries including 68.2% of the total volume of the accumulated direct foreign investments.

In 2003 about USD23.3 billion of foreign investments were sent abroad, which is 17% more, than in 2002.