Russia's federal budget deficit narrowed to 2.361 trillion roubles ($24.12 billion), or 1.5% of GDP, in January-August 2023, the Finance Ministry said on Friday.

In January-July the federal budget deficit had stood at 2.817 trillion roubles or 1.8% of GDP, the ministry said.

Earlier, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Russia had recorded a federal budget surplus of about 230 billion roubles ($2.35 billion) in August.

He said he expected the federal deficit for all of 2023 to be around 2% of economic output. ($1 = 97.8800 roubles) (Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Kevin Liffey)