US inflation expectations for the coming year rose to 3.4% in September from 3.2% in August. This is evidenced by the results of the survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. This is the highest indicator of the last five months. Food inflation is expected at 5.8%, up from 5.5% last month, which is the highest since March 2023. Consumers predict that gasoline prices will increase by 4.2% in the coming year, instead of 3.9% in August. Expectations of housing price growth remained at 3% for the fourth month in a row. Inflation expectations for the next three years remained at 3% last month, and for five years they increased to 3% from the previous 2.9%. According to the survey, the estimate of the likelihood of unemployment rising in the coming year rose by 2 percentage points to 41.1%, while the forecast for GDP growth fell by 0.1 percentage point to 2.4%, the lowest level since April 2021.

Iran has discovered new gas reserves in the Pazan mine as a result of exploration drilling. According to Shana agency, this was announced by the country's oil and gas minister Mohsen Paknezhad. According to him, the newly discovered reserves are estimated at about 10 trillion cubic feet, which is equivalent to about 280 billion cubic meters. The Pazan mine is located near the city of Jam (Bushehri province), approximately 21 km away. The minister noted that exploratory works were not carried out in this mine for about eight years, and now they have been resumed in the framework of the second exploratory drilling. According to Paknejad, gas production from the newly discovered reserves can start in 40 months.

According to the data published by the RA Statistical Committee, 185,654.7 tons of copper concentrate were produced in Armenia in January-August of the current year. Compared to the comparable indicator of the previous year, the volume of production decreased by 8.1%. At the same time, zinc concentrate production increased by 6.7% to 7,487.0 tons, while molybdenum concentrate production decreased by 13% to 9,927.4 tons. Ferromolybdenum production decreased by 32.6% to 1,977.6 tons, steel pipe production increased by 7.1% to 16,455.1 tons, and aluminum foil production increased by 2.7% to 13,558.5 tons.

"LUYS" Foundation addresses the socio-economic developments of the RA economy in 2025. in January-August. The picture in the export sector remains worrying. After softening for several months, the rate of export decline worsened again in August, reaching 40.8%. The drop in exports in January-August was 48.8%. These large declines are mainly due to a decrease in re-export volumes, and when adjusted for most of this, the export growth is only 2.5% (according to January-July data), which indicates that the export potential has decreased significantly. The rate of growth of loans to households continues to significantly exceed the growth of their incomes. The increase in the total volume of loans is mainly caused by the growth of consumer and mortgage loans, respectively 31.1% and 26.3%. It is noteworthy that the incomes of the population (salaries, remittances, real GDP, etc.) do not grow in a corresponding amount. In this regard, progressive growth with a significant difference in loans compared to income may cause risks in the medium term from the point of view of financial stability.

In January-August 2025, the volume of foreign trade between Armenia and other countries was 12,942.7 million US dollars. 2024 compared to the comparable index, a decrease of 41.1% was recorded. According to the data provided by the Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia, during the reporting period, imports in trade relations with partner countries exceeded exports by 2,940.9 million US dollars. Thus, in January-August 2025, Armenia exported 5,000.9 million USD products and imported 7,941.8 million USD products from other countries. It should be noted that in the reporting months, compared to the same period of the previous year, the decline in exports was 48.8%, and the decline recorded in the import sector was 34.9%.

The cost of sending a child to school in Armenia has increased by 20% compared to last year. Sputnik Armenia visited a number of fairs and affordable stores where a large number of citizens shop. Calculations show that sending a child to school requires around 95,000 drams instead of 80,000 in 2024. In other words, before the start of the academic year, the total expenses increased by almost 15 thousand drams (almost 20%). One of the most important accessories of a schoolchild is a bag, which can be bought at Yerevan fairs and shops for 6,000-18,000 drams. In addition to the bag, the student needs notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, a drawing album, a pencil case and other stationery. Junior and middle school students also need topic notebooks for specific subjects. The average price of all these is 18,000 drams. About 65 thousand drams are needed for school clothes.

The Republic of Armenia has been notified of the investment dispute in connection with the actions taken against the businessman, philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan and the company "Hayastani Elektrischen Zyrets". "Tashir" group of companies issued a statement about that today. The announcement states that the notification of the investment dispute is of a warning nature. This official notification was sent by Samvel Karapetyan and his family members to the state authorities of the Republic of Armenia. It is based on the 1995 Agreement between Armenia and Cyprus. on the investment promotion and protection agreement signed on January 18. It is noted that this agreement gives investors the opportunity to apply for international arbitration in case of violation of their rights by the state. Such processes have a negative impact on the investment attractiveness of the country. In the statement published by the "Tashir" group of companies, it is mentioned that the Karapetyan family makes demands due to the Prime Minister's campaign against Samvel Karapetyan and his business. "First of all, Armenian state officials did not provide fair and equal treatment, as well as full protection and security for the Karapetyan family and their investments in Armenia. Secondly, in violation of the agreement, the RA state bodies are taking steps to establish control over HEP, which is equivalent to confiscation of investments. If the relevant bodies continue to violate their obligations under the agreement and international law, Armenia will face international arbitration proceedings and the obligation to pay full compensation as a result," the statement said. In the notice, the shareholders claim that the actions of the RA officials are arbitrary, discriminatory, politically motivated and aimed at depriving the Karapetyan family of their property through the HEC. According to the shareholders, these actions violate the 1995 a number of obligations assumed by the agreement signed between Armenia and Cyprus on January 18, which the state must fulfill.

Armenian wines were highly appreciated at the IWSC 2025 international competition, which was held in Georgia within the framework of cooperation with the Gurjaani Wine Festival and the National Wine Agency of Georgia. The competition attracted more than 400 entries, including wines and spirits from Georgia, Armenia and other countries in the region. Armenia has won more than 30 medals, 4 of which are gold, which is a significant achievement for our country. Gold was awarded to: - Anamor Grand Reserve 100% Areni Noir Red Dry 2021 (Manukyan Brandy Factory) - Awarded 96 points for complex aromas of dark cherry, pomegranate, blueberry and subtle accents of sage and white pepper. The wine stood out for its soft texture and balanced taste. - For Noah of Areni Noa Reserve 2021, the judges noted a complex aromatic profile with notes of blackberry, ripe plum and sweet cherry, complemented by hints of leather and tarragon. - Moossah Red Dry Wine Areni Noir 2022 (Winged Lion) for the delicacy of taste and the harmony of berry and herbal notes. - Amber By Moossah 2022 (Winged Lion) for a rich aroma of honey, dried fruit and floral notes. The autochthonous type of "Aren" has become a key element of the success of the Armenian participants. The judges noted that it demonstrated its versatility through a wide range of styles, from the classic to the more innovative, with the best examples standing out for their elegance, balance and complexity of flavour. Armenian winemakers confirmed their high level, continuing to strengthen their positions in the international arena.