Alcoholic beverages (Russian market)

The main articles are:

• Alcoholic Beverages (Global Market)
• Russian economy

Alcohol consumption and sales

Main article: Alcohol consumption in Russia

Alcohol production

Main article: Alcohol production in Russia

Alcohol imports to Russia

2023

Growth of wine imports from Georgia by 50% in the first quarter

From January to March 2023, Georgia exported more than 13 thousand tons of wine to Russia, which is 1.5 times more than the same indicator in 2022.

Import growth of 23% in January and February

According to the results of January - February 2023, alcohol imports to Russia increased by 23% year-on-year. Wine supplies increased by 23%, to 63.37 million liters, strong drinks - by 25%, to 15.65 million liters. Imports of whiskey, in particular, increased by 32%, to 6.16 million liters, cognac and brandy - by 61%, to 2.82 million liters, liqueurs - by 60%, to 2.01 million liters, rum - by 19%, to 1.67 million liters.

2022

Production in Russia reached a record of 1 billion decaliters, imports fell to 96 million decaliters

The production of alcoholic beverages in the Russian Federation in 2022 for the first time exceeded 1 billion decaliters (dal). Imports of alcoholic beverages decreased to 96 million decaliters.

Russian importers replace foreign ones in the supply of strong alcohol

Imports of strong alcohol in the Russian Federation, excluding supplies from the EAEU countries, in 2022 decreased by 36% year-on-year, to 62.46 million liters. Russian importers are expected to benefit from a decrease in activity in the Russian market of foreign alcohol suppliers.

Beluga Group in a year became the leader in the import of strong alcohol into the Russian Federation, overtaking Pernod Ricard. Luding Group, X5 Group and Ladoga also managed to increase supplies. In 2023, the conjuncture will be influenced by the parallel import of alcohol allowed in November 2022.

Beer imports down 30%

Imported beer has become significantly more expensive than local beer, which limits the demand for this segment. According to experts, in 2022, beer imports to the Russian Federation decreased by 30-35%.

Continued champagne deliveries from France via Turkey

Turkey almost tripled the export of champagne in, Russia while increasing purchases in France by 120%, writes. Bloomberg According to Trade Data Monitor, in 2022, the import of champagne from the Republic of Turkey to Russia increased by 182%.

Italy comes out on top for wine imports with record €172m supply

Italy The statement announced a record increase in wine supplies Russia in 2022. Despite the sanctions, exports grew by 16%, reaching €172 million, according to the association of Italian agricultural producers Coldiretti. In addition, in 2022 Italy it took first place among wine suppliers to Russia with a market share of about 30%, ahead of and. Spain Georgia

Italy, together with Spain, occupy almost half (49%) of the total volume of imported wine on the Russian market.

According to the results of 2022, the top 20 wine importers to Russia have undergone changes. But not all of them are related to sanctions. Despite their own sanctions, Western countries continued to supply wine to Russia. Surprisingly, those countries that officially introduced bans on the supply of any wine to Russia remained in the top 20.

For example, according to market participants USA , more wine was imported into the Russian Federation last year than friendly wine. Uzbekistan For obvious reasons, she entered the top ten for the first time. The Serbia top 20 included, and Azerbaijan Armenia South Ossetia. The supply of wines from New Zealand decreased by 30%, but this is a consequence, rather, of natural reasons: in the past few years, the country received low yields.

Sharp increase in wine imports from the EU: 1 million hectoliters of wine in 3 months

in August-October European Union increased the supply of wine in 43 Russia %, writes RBC. For three months, 1 million hectolitraves of wine were imported into the country. The largest suppliers were,, and France Germany, Italy Latvia which increased exports from 89.5% to 37.4%.

The largest increase was shown Austria (plus 515.7%), (463.03 Bulgaria %), (Croatia 175.89%).

Growth in the supply of grape wine from Armenia doubled to 280 thousand decaliters, fruit wines by 53% to 520 thousand decaliters

According to the results of 10 months of 2022, the volume of supplies of Armenian grape wines in the Russian Federation amounted to 280,000 decaliters, which is 2 times more than in the same period of 2021. During the specified period, the volume of fruit wine supplies from Armenia increased by 53% and reached the volume of 520,000 decaliters.

Reduction in cognac imports from France, Roma from Puerto Rico and Jamaica, growth from supplies from India and Georgia

In January-September 2022, shipments of French cognacs decreased by 45%, but Georgian ones increased by 27%. Imports of Roma from Puerto Rico fell by 50%, Jamaica - by 25%, but increased by 40% from India.

X5 Group became the largest importer of alcohol in Russia

In January-March X5 Group 2022, she imported Russia 21.6 million liters of wine, which is 31% more compared to the same period in 2021. The volume of all alcoholic beverages imported by the group reached 24 million liters. The retailer has become the largest importer of alcohol in the Russian Federation, writes "" in the Kommersant issue of November 7, 2022.

According to the newspaper, the import of wine, which became the second largest importer of alcohol in the list of Luding Group, increased by 13%, to 20.3 million liters, the structure of Bacardi (Martini brand) - by 38%, to 15.5 million liters. The company has maintained stable volumes of wine supplies from the Old World and increased imports from the New World, Andrey Ushakov, Marketing Director of Luding Group, told the newspaper.

Total wine imports for the nine months of 2022 decreased by 5% (on an annualized basis), to 260.5 million liters, and the import of strong drinks into Russia fell by almost 40% year-on-year, to 38.9 million liters.

X5 Group explained that supplies increased due to the expansion of the assortment and geography of imports, including from Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey. The group also pointed to a line of imported goods under its own brands and an increase in demand due to the departure of a number of foreign companies.

Alexander Stavtsev, head of the WineRetail information center, notes that in recent years the wine market has largely developed due to direct imports of chains, which, in particular, has led to lower prices due to a reduction in the mark-up.

Senior analyst at Gazprombank Marat Ibragimov says that its own imports allow networks to attract traffic and quickly rebuild purchases in the event of changes in the situation. And alcohol is the most profitable category in the range, he adds.

Alcohol supplies to Russia were complicated after a special military operation on To Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions. The authorities, and USA Australia New Zealand banned the import of alcohol into the Russian Federation, EU and alcohol is more expensive than €300 per unit.^[1]

Beer

Main article: Beer (Russian market)

Strong alcohol

Whisky

2024: The Russian whiskey market grew by 30.3% over the year

The whiskey market in Russia in 2024 showed an increase of 30.3% in monetary terms and 24.8% in physical terms compared to 2023. Such data analysts IBC Real Estate led in mid-January 2025.

According to experts, the average price per unit of production increased by 4.5%. At the same time, the cost of 0.25 liter bottles increased by 11.3%, and 0.5 liter decreased by 9.2% due to the entry of Russian brands into the market.

Whiskey market in Russia increased by 30.3% over the year

The bulk of sales - almost 60% - came from 0.7 L bottles, where the price increased by 4%. Almost 64% of all sales are low-price whiskey worth up to ₽1000 per bottle.

The top ten brands account for 58.2% of sales in physical terms and 61.6% in monetary terms. Among the leaders are Russian manufacturers: Steersman with a share of 13.6% in physical terms and 8.5% in monetary terms, Fowler's - 7.6% and 4.1%, Nucky Thompson - 6.7% and 5.9%, respectively.

In the structure of sales by countries of production, Scotch whisky leads with a share of 43.1% in monetary terms, which is 4 percentage points less than in 2023. Russian whiskey occupies 33.3% of the market, increasing its share by 2 percentage points. This is followed by the United States (10.9%) and Ireland (8.2%).

In physical terms, Russian whisky ranks first with a share of 51.6%, ahead of Scottish (32.7%). Shares of American and Irish whiskey are 6.7% and 4.6%, respectively.

Since January 2025, there has been an increase in excise rates on alcohol, which will lead to an increase in the average cost of products by 10-15%. Imported alcohol may rise in price by 10% due to changes in the exchange rate and an increase in customs duties.

According to industry analysts, the domestic whiskey market will continue to develop with an expected growth of 5-10%. An increase in production costs, including labor costs, will also be a factor in price increases.^[2]

2023:1% rise in whisky production to 4.5 million decalitres

In 2023, whiskey production in Russia increased, reaching 4,547,100 decalitres, which is 1% more than in 2022. This is evidenced by the data of the GuideMarket agency, published in June 2024.

The average annual increase in whiskey production for the period from 2019 to 2023 was 17.8%. The minimum production volume was recorded in 2019 and amounted to 2,425,500 decalitres. Annual increases have since peaked in 2023, confirming steady growth.

It is noted that the dynamics of whiskey production in Russia is closely related to the domestic market, which shows stable growth, with the exception of a slight fluctuation in 2022-2023. It is noted that the Russian whiskey market is less dependent on imports, which makes it less vulnerable to external economic factors.

The head of the large Russian alcohol holding Ladoga Veniamin Grabar spoke about the factors that contributed to the growth of demand for whiskey in the country. In addition to the traditionally popular Fowler's brand, the drivers of increased sales in this category were Tavern Hound whisky, as well as Carrygreen and Black Beast drinks made from Irish and Scottish malt alcohol, respectively.

At the end of 2023, Ladoga planned to produce more than 750 thousand decaliters of whiskey. In the new year, the holding intends to actively invest in the promotion of its brands in the whiskey category, allocating an impressive advertising budget of 350 million rubles for these purposes.

The whiskey category suffered the most in the Russian alcohol market after the start of a special military operation in Ukraine in 2022. According to Kommersant, whiskey imports to Russia decreased by 52%, amounting to 1.81 million decaliters last year.

However, in 2023, the situation with the presence of popular whiskey brands on store shelves improved somewhat thanks to parallel imports. According to Alexander Stavtsev, head of the WineRetail information center, the largest replenishment of the assortment occurred in the price segment from 1.5 thousand rubles per 0.7 liter bottle. At the same time, there is still a shortage of supply in the mass category of whiskey.

According to Andrei Ushakov, marketing director, in Luding Group 2022 the whiskey market was replenished with a large number of new products, and competition in this segment has increased significantly. The data NielsenIQ indicate that in 2023, 77 new whiskey brands appeared in Russia, 14 of which are domestic production.^[3]

Vodka

Main article: Vodka (Russian market)

Cognac

2024: Cognac production in Russia increased by 10.2% over the year to 9.7 million decaliters

in Ministry of Agriculture Russia early February 2025, it reported an increase in cognac production by 10.2% to 9.7 million decaliters in 2024.

According to RBC, the total production of wines and cognac in Russia exceeded sixty million decaliters, an increase of 13.4% compared to 2023. The main regions of production of drinks from grapes are the Krasnodar Territory with a share of 35.8%, Crimea - 16.1% and Dagestan - 13.7%.

Cognac production in Russia increased by 10.2% over the year thanks to state support

Pyotr Efremov, executive director of the Association of Winegrowers and Winemakers of Russia, emphasizes that the main driver of growth was state protective measures, including preferential loans, agricultural insurance, preferential leasing, export support and reclamation.

Secretary of the Alcopro guild Andrei Moskovsky points out that cognac from Russian grapes covers only 20% of domestic demand. More than 60% of imported cognac is supplied from Armenia, about 24% from Georgia.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev notes that the total area of ​ ​ vineyards in the country will reach 106-107 thousand hectares. Annually, winegrowers plant an average of 6 thousand hectares of new plantations.

According to the publication, the grape harvest in Russia in 2024 exceeded 800 thousand tons. This is more than the 2023 figure of 760 thousand tons, but less than the 2022 harvest of 890 thousand tons.

The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia notes the growing demand for domestic wines. Their share is increasing in both the retail and to trade catering segments.

The increase in production indicators is the result of comprehensive measures of state support for the industry and the development of its own raw material base. The implementation of state support programs contributes to the expansion of vineyard areas and the modernization of production capacities.^[4]

2023:35% increase in cognac production to 8.76 million decalitres

In 2023, 8.76 million decaliters (dal) of cognac were produced in Russia, which is 35% more than in 2022. Such data from Rosalkogolregulirovanie led on January 15, 2024.

According to the executive director of Fortwine Alexander Lipilin, the increase in the manufacture of cognac in the Russian Federation in 2023 is associated with two main factors:

• the activity of Russian manufacturers against the background of the departure of foreign competitors;
• an increase in cognac consumption.

The growth of production is absolutely logical. But will it all sell out or linger in warehouses? The quality range of Russian brandy is quite wide. There are very interesting samples, as well as a completely inconvenient product. Unfortunately, since we are talking about, as a rule, an inexpensive price category, most of it is a fairly specific product, "Lipilin said in a conversation with Kommersant FM.

At the end of 2023, cognac production in Russia increased despite the shortage of cognac distillate - more than 70% of these products were imported. To solve the problem, Soyuzkonyak asked the Ministry of Finance to simplify the procedure for importing wine and cognac materials from Georgia.

According to analysts at Strategy Partners, in 2024 the production of vodka, cognac and other strong alcoholic beverages may grow, the main reason is the high growth of excise taxes on wine, which may shift consumer preferences towards stronger but cheaper products.

As they write Sheets"" with reference to the data, Rosstat the first place in the Russian cognac and brandy market in January-April 2023 was taken by the Stellar Group (Old Barrel, Monte Choco brands), which left behind the former leader - GC "" Alvis("Elder," "Kinovsky"). The leading three included the Alliance-1892 company (Old Koenigsberg brand).^[5]

2022

The production of strong drinks in Russia soared by 42%

According to Rosalkogolregulirovanie, the production of alcoholic beverages with a strength of more than 25% in Russia in 2022 reached 11.6 million decaliters, which is 28.8% more than a year earlier. The agency published statistics in January 2023.

The category of strong alcohol includes whiskey, gin, calvados, with the import of which in 2022 there were problems due to sanctions. The production of such drinks within the country increased by 41.8%, sales growth was most likely ensured precisely by Russian products. Sales of the category "other alcoholic beverages" (this includes, for example, rum and brandy) added 10.3%, to 11.1 million decaliters.

Since the end of February 2022, many producers and importers of strong drinks have suspended their activities or completely left the Russian market. In early August of that year, Kommersant, citing data from market participants, wrote that imports of strong alcohol to Russia in the first half of 2022 fell by 34.4%, to 32.65 million liters. The supply of foreign whiskey (48.4%, up to 11.8 million liters), vodka (by 41.7%, up to 965.5 thousand liters) and liqueurs (36.6%, up to 2.25 million liters).

The Ministry of Industry and Trade previously refused to allow alcohol to be imported under a parallel import scheme that does not require permission from the copyright holder. The ministry referred to the fear of the Ministry of Agriculture about an increase in the volume of counterfeit products. In mid-August, Karavaev appealed to the government with a request to include a number of alcoholic brands in the list of goods allowed for parallel imports.

From January 1, 2023, the minimum retail price for 0.5 liters of vodka in Russia increased from 261 rubles to 281 rubles. Also, since the beginning of the year, the retail price of cognac for 0.5 liters has been increased from 480 rubles to 517 rubles, the price of brandy - from 348 rubles to 375 rubles.^[6]

Production of rum, whiskey and gin in Russia increased by 64.2%

The production of rum, whiskey and gin in Russia has increased by 64.2% over the past year, Vedomosti wrote in October 2022. After the British company Diageo (Captain Morgan), the French Pernod Ricard (Chivas Regal, Jameson) and the American Brown-Forman (Jack Daniel's) left the country in the spring, local manufacturers began to actively develop empty niches in the premium alcohol market.

Wine

Winemaking in Russia

Main article: Russian wine

Wine market

2024: Wine sales rise 3.2% to 81.9 million decalitres

Rosalkogoltabakkontrol (RATK) recorded an increase in sales of sparkling wines in Russia to 23.5 million decaliters in 2024, which is 8.6% higher than in 2023. This became known on January 23, 2025.

According to RBC, the total sales of wine, including grape, sparkling and liqueur wines, reached 81.9 million decaliters, an increase of 3.2% compared to 2023. Liquor wines showed an increase of 7.6%, reaching 1.2 million decaliters.

In Russia, annual sales of sparkling wines increased by 8.6%

Vice-President of the Association of Retail Market Experts Alexander Stavtsev noted that wine sales in 2024 exceeded market expectations, despite an increase in the excise rate in May and an increase in customs duty in August.

The growth in sales of alcoholic beverages affected not only the wine segment. The volume of vodka sales increased by 0.6% to 76 million decaliters, cognac - by 2.1% to 14.1 million decaliters. The category of other alcoholic beverages, including gin, rum, whiskey and tequila, showed an increase of 14.4% to 14.4 million decaliters.

Secretary of the Alcopro Guild Andrei Moskovsky connects the growth in sales of strong alcohol with the localization of production in Russia. The development of domestic production made it possible to reduce retail prices for these categories of drinks.

Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko drew attention to the stabilization of alcohol consumption in Russia. At the same time, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova noted a reduction in per capita alcohol consumption from 14 to 8 liters from the beginning of the national project "Healthcare" in 2018.

The total sales of alcoholic beverages in Russia, with the exception of beer, beer drinks, cider, poiret and mead, decreased by 1.1% to 226.9 million decaliters in 2024. Experts attribute this to the normalization of the market after a sharp increase in 2022.^[7]

2023: Quiet wine sales rise 5.8% to 56.5 million decalitres

In 2023, 56.5 million decalitres (dal) of still wines were sold in Russia, which is 5.8% more than a year earlier. Sales of sparkling wines (champagne) increased by 8.3% and reached 21.7 million decaliters. The liquor wine market recorded 1.6-fold growth, up to 1.2 million decaliters. Rosalkogoltabakkontrol published such data on January 23, 2024.

Rosselkhozbank (RSHB) estimated the actual consumption of Russian wine at the end of 2023 at 90 million decaliters, and at the same time, more than half of this amount, according to the bank's estimates, was taken by domestic wine. The increase in the production of Russian wines, among other things, provided a prolonged restriction on the import of products from foreign producers, as well as the first harvests in vineyards laid down 4 years ago as part of the program to support Russian wine producers, the bank noted.

From the materials of the RSHB it follows that a quarter of all champagne produced in the Russian Federation in 2023 fell on Moscow and the Moscow region, followed by St. Petersburg and Krasnodar Territory in terms of consumption. According to the bank, still wines are also consumed in large volumes in the capital and the region (22%), in St. Petersburg and the region (9%), Krasnodar Territory and Crimea - 2% each.

The bank also noted that with climate changes, the conditions for viticulture and winemaking in Russia are gradually improving: for example, production is shifting east and north in the European part of Russia and again, as in the USSR, it begins to develop in the Far East. The geographical direction of the development of domestic winemaking is shifting towards the Caspian Sea and the Volga River basin.

Thanks to climatic changes in the horizon up to 10 years, Russian winemakers will receive additional advantages to strengthen their positions in the domestic and international markets, the press service of Rosselkhozbank said.

They also added that the gross volume of technical grapes in 2023 was close to the record indicators of 2022 - 890 thousand tons.^[8]

2022

Quiet and sparkling wine sales growth to 904m litres

In 2022, 904 million liters of wine were sold in Russia against 830 million liters a year earlier. Compared to 2018, the market volume grew by 22.5%, BusinesStat analysts calculated. Their data was published in mid-December 2023.

According to the researchers, wine sales in Russia are increasing largely due to the expansion of the assortment in different price categories. This factor helped offset the negative impact from the reduction in alcohol imports from European countries.

In 2022, the European Union imposed sanctions on the import of premium segment alcohol into Russia, some of the large foreign companies independently left the Russian market (Diageo, LVMH, Pernod Ricard), others did not announce their departure, but significantly reduced supply volumes (Gruppo Campari, Brown-Forman). As noted in BusinesStat, fearing the disappearance of favorite wines from stores, in early 2022, Russians actively bought them "for future use." In the future, as stocks were exhausted, distributors timely organized the supply of wines through foreign intermediaries, but this led to an increase in prices for imported alcohol and a reorientation of consumers to a more affordable domestic one. The current situation was taken advantage of by Russian manufacturers, accelerating the process of import substitution and increasing their presence in the market, analysts add.

According to the results of 2022, analysts named the following companies as the largest wine producers in Russia:

• "Ochakovo";
• Tatspirtprom;
• "Kuban-Vino";
• «Ladoga»;
• "Eurasian Alcohol Group."

At the end of 2022, Italy remained the leader in importing wine into Russia, as in 2021. In 2022, distributors imported 19% more of its products than a year earlier - only 134.1 million liters.^[9]

10% rise in wine imports to 405m litres

Wine imports in Russia in 2022 reached 405 million liters, which is 10% more than a year earlier. Such data from the Federal Customs Service (FCS) were released in early February 2023.

As RBC writes with reference to the statistics of the department, most of the wine in the Russian Federation was supplied from Italy, and the fastest growth in supplies year by year was shown by Uzbekistan (19 times) and Canada (6 times). In second place is Spain, imports grew 11%, to 66 million liters, and in third place is Georgia - the supply growth was 26%, to 58.7 million liters. As for Italy, the supply of wine from there in 2022 increased by 19% (to 134.1 million liters).

The top 10 main suppliers of wines Russia in 2022 also included,, France,, Portugal, and Chile. Abkhazia Germany REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA Serbia

X5 Group became the largest importer among companies for the first time: in 2022, the retailer increased its own supplies by 62% to 34.9 million liters, overtaking alcohol distributors Luding Group and Simple Group. The same increased imports in physical terms by 3 and 19%, respectively: the Luding Group imported 30.1 million liters of wine, and the Simple Group - up to 21.2 million liters.

The Simple Group told the publication that the order of the numbers is similar to their own data, the Luding Group was not yet ready to comment on the issue, since by February 6, 2023 they had not completed the process of forming a consolidated import statistics for 2022.

In 2022, anti-Russian sanctions imposed after the start of a special military operation in Ukraine complicated the purchase and supply of goods to Russia and radically changed, among other things, the wine import market. The United States banned the supply of alcohol to Russia, Australia imposed a ban on the export of wine products, and the EU countries limited the supply of expensive wines to Russia (the ban affected goods more expensive than €300).^[10]

Growth of imports of wines from Uzbekistan by 4.5 times to 850 thousand liters in 9 months

Russian distributors have sharply increased the import of inexpensive wines from Uzbekistan. For three quarters of 2022, imports from this country to Russia increased 4.5 times, to almost 850 thousand liters.

Observation procedure introduced for one of the largest wine importers in Russia

As it became known at the end of October 2022, a monitoring procedure was introduced for one of the largest wine importers in Russia. We are talking about the company "Priorimpex." Read more here.

Wine imports from Armenia increased by 30% in six months

According to the results of the first half of 2022, the export of grape wine from Armenia to Russia increased by 30% compared to the same period in 2021. The volume of exports from Armenia to Russia of grape wines is about 1.7 million liters, fruit wines - 4.2 million liters.

Antinori wine house suspended supplies to Russia

In August 2022, one of the oldest Italian manufacturers, Antinori, whose main estates are concentrated in Tuscany, suspended supplies to Russia.

2021

Growth in sales of quiet wines by 0.7%, to 52.9 million decaliters

According to data released on January 25, 2022 by the National Consumer Protection Union, sales of quiet wines in 2021 amounted to 52.9 million decaliters, which is 0.7% less than a year ago. Sales of low-alcohol drinks with a strength of no more than 9 degrees grew at the highest pace in 2021. Over the year, they increased by 55.4%, to 11 million decaliters.

Growth of wine imports in the 1st half of the year by 24.8%

According to the results of January - July 2021, wine imports to Russia increased by 24.82% year-on-year - to 18.87 million decaliters. The main suppliers of wine to Russia - Spain, Georgia and France - generally retained their positions , Italy and Portugal increased their shares by several percentage points. Importers increased supplies, trying to compensate for last year's fall due to a lockdown due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

At the same time, Russian winemakers, forced to use only local grapes, are losing market share, which has already decreased from 62% to 50%. Bad weather prevented this season: according to preliminary data, local winegrowers lost up to 20% of the harvest.

Champagne and sparkling wines

2023: Share of Russian sparkling wines in stores reaches 70% - Ministry of Industry and Trade

In the sparkling wine market in the Russian Federation, domestic products account for 68%, and the share of Russian quiet wine is 52%. Such data in October 2023 was cited by Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Viktor Yevtukhov.

According to him, such results of import substitution of alcoholic beverages were achieved, among other things, thanks to the participation of the authorities in promoting the product on the market. Viktor Yevtukhov cited the action "Days of Russian Wines," which is held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade together with the Ministry of Agriculture, as an example. He added that the promotion not only helped increase sales, but also led to higher recognition of domestic wine.

According to RIA Novosti, citing data from Roskachestvo, by October 2023, the popularity of foreign wine in Russia reached a record low value over the past two years - only 17% of citizens believe that it is much better than domestic wine. Meanwhile, the share of consumers preferring Russian wines continues to increase - for example, 22% of citizens consider it to be of better quality than foreign wines, and 29% believe that not all, but most domestic wines are superior in quality to foreign wines.

Yevtukhov noted that the consumer had already "tried" the domestic product and realized that it was not inferior to foreign counterparts. The deputy minister also stressed that wine fairs have also become good sales channels.

In June 2023, it became known that the Commission on Customs and Tariff Regulation under the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation is working on the issue of increasing customs duties on wine imports in Russia. The Association of Winegrowers and Winemakers proposed to limit the import of wine - up to the ban on supplies from unfriendly countries.^[11]

2022: Sales of champagne and sparkling wines in Russia increased by 8.6%

At the end of 2022, 20 million decaliters (dal) of sparkling and champagne wines were sold in Russia, which is 8.6% of the volume a year ago. This is evidenced by the data of the Federal Service for the Regulation of the Alcohol Market (Rosalkogolregulirovanie), which were published on January 24, 2023.

According to Rosselkhozbank estimates, the consumption of Russian sparkling wines in the Russian Federation in 2022 increased by 25% compared to 2021. According to experts, sales growth in the market was noted both in the retail segment and in the wholesale segment, which indicates a greater representation of the Russian product in the HoReCa segment (hotel and restaurant business). The Rosselkhozbank noted that the share of sparkling wines and champagne in 2022 amounted to 9% of total alcohol sales. Most sparkling wines were bought in Moscow (14%) and the Moscow region (11%). Among federal districts, the leaders were Central (36%), Northwest (14%), and Southern (14%) counties.

Traditionally, the highest sales rates of sparkling wines are noted on the eve of the holidays (New Year, March 8, February 14, etc.), as well as in the summer. So, by December, sales of sparkling as a rule grow almost 2 times compared to the beginning of the year. In addition, according to experts, the import of sparkling wines in January - August 2022 increased by 8% in value compared to the same period in 2021.

The Rosselkhozbank also noted that the production of sparkling wines in Russia in 2022 increased by 25%. Experts believe that the growth in the production of Russian sparkling wines is associated with the introduction of restrictions on the import of products from foreign producers, as well as a successful year for viticulture - in 2021, due to natural disasters, producers were forced to reduce the volume of products produced.^[12]

2021: Champagne and sparkling wine sales up 6.9%

In 2021, 18.4 million decaliters of champagne and sparkling wines were sold in Russian retail, which is 6.9% more than a year earlier

Low alcohol beverages

2024: Low alcohol sales drop by a third to 12m decalitres

Rosalkogoltabakkontrol (RATK) recorded a drop in sales of low-alcohol drinks by 34.7% to 12 million decaliters in 2024. Statistics data were published on January 23, 2025.

According to RBC, the decline also affected other categories of alcoholic beverages: grape-containing drinks without ethyl alcohol decreased by 37.9% to 552.1 thousand decaliters, fruit alcoholic beverages - by 26% to 9.3 million decaliters, and grape-containing drinks with ethyl alcohol - by 7.4% to 1.4 million decaliters.

Sales of low-alcohol drinks in Russia decreased by a third

Vadim Drobiz, director of the Center for Research on Federal and Regional Alcohol Markets, noted that the decrease in indicators is associated with the redistribution of products to the category of beer drinks due to a lower excise tax rate.

According to the publication, in the categories of low-alcohol products, grape-containing drinks with and without ethyl alcohol, as well as fruit alcoholic beverages, there is a decline in production, according to Rosalkogoltabakkontrol.

Secretary of the Alcopro guild Andrei Moskovsky stressed that manufacturers transferred products to other statistical categories after a quadruple increase in taxes from ₽36 to ₽141 per liter.

As a result, drinks previously classified as low alcohol are now counted in the beer, beer drink and cider categories, resulting in a significant statistical decline in indicators in the original segment.

The majority of manufacturers reoriented to the production of products in categories with a lower tax burden, which led to a significant reduction in official indicators in the segment of low-alcohol drinks.

Since the beginning of the change in excise policy, there has been a steady trend towards a reduction in production and sales in this market segment.^[13]

2023

Sales of cider and mead up 0.9 per cent to 102m litres

Sales of cider and mead in Russia in 2023 reached 102 million liters against 101 million liters a year earlier. This is evidenced by the data of the analytical agency BusinesStat, which were released in December 2024.

According to experts, the growth of the market in question in 2023 slowed down. The growing popularity of relatively new drinks for the general consumer has led to the emergence of a large number of cheap low-quality brands that negatively affect the general attitude towards cider and mead, and mass poisoning by the surrogate "Mr. Cider" has become the crown, the researchers add.

According to them, cider, poiret and mead for most Russians have long remained a specific type of alcohol. Ciders and poirets bottled in wine-like bottles were seen as an attempt to make an alternative to the classic grape wine from cheaper and more affordable raw materials. Products poured into cans and bottles of the beer format were forced to compete with beer and were also perceived as something strange and non-standard, up to the perception of such drinks as "fakes" for ordinary beer. With beer and grape wines - both domestic and imported - fully available, cider, poiret and mead remained niche drinks for individual connoisseurs.

BusinessStat notes that the Russian alcohol market has faced a reduction in the availability of many familiar categories of imported products. In conditions of temporary shortage, the vacated niches were filled with other drinks, including ciders and mead. Craft variants of these drinks have been a lifesaver for many bars and other venues that previously specialized in beer. Seeing the growing demand for cider and mead, Russian producers also intensified, which over the year increased the production of such drinks by almost 50% compared to the previous year.

60% increase in cider production to 80 million liters

In 2023, cider production in Russia showed impressive growth - by 60% from 50 million to 80 million liters compared to 2022. This became known in September 2024.

The published indicators confirm the trend of growing interest in traditional cider, which is becoming more and more popular among Russians. It is noteworthy that imports of this drink in 2023 decreased by more than 30% compared to 2021.

Cider production increased sharply in Russia over the year

The increase in production is due to several key factors. First, consumers are increasingly paying attention to niche species and cider varieties. The craft beer market has previously shown similar dynamics, and cider repeats this path. In Moscow, for example, more ciders have already been opened than in New York. This indicates the development of the culture of consumption of this drink in Russia and its increasing popularity among the general population.

Experts also note that the popularity of traditional cider is increasing. According to the data, the share of this drink in total sales increased by 20% in 2023. In 2024, Russians became more selective in their preferences, which can be explained both by changes in consumption culture and the consequences of mass poisoning with Mr. Sidr cider in the past. The incident hit drink makers with similar names but failed to put the brakes on the overall growth of the market.

In addition to the growth of domestic production, the industry is seeing a change in assortment. Increasingly, fruity variations of the drink such as cherry cider or ice cider can be found on the market. In such products, up to 30% of the composition can be juice of other fruits and berries, which makes them attractive to a diverse audience. In addition, interest in the middle category is growing - ciders from pasteurized apple juice with added sugar.^[14]

Growth in production of low-alcohol drinks by 17.7% to 22.3 million decaliters

The production of low-alcohol drinks in Russia in 2023 increased by 17.7% compared to 2022 and reached 22.3 million decaliters (dal). This is evidenced by the data of the Rosalkogoltabakkontrol, published in mid-January 2024.

Low alcohol beverages include:

• beer, except for brewing waste;
• beer-based beverages (beer drinks)
• ciders;
• poiret;
• mead.

Low-alcohol beverages have a weight fraction of ethyl alcohol of 1.5 to 9%. As ingredients for making low-alcohol beverages, sugar-containing products, infusions, extracts of fruits and berries, juices, plant raw materials, honey, other alcoholic beverages, and other additives can be used. Low-alcohol cocktails are produced by mixing water, alcohol, flavors and flavors.

According to Rosalkogoltabakkontrol, in 2023 the production of grape-containing drinks without ethyl alcohol decreased by 87.1%, to 566.6 thousand decaliters, grape-containing drinks with ethyl alcohol - by 53%, to 37.2 thousand decaliters. But the production of fruit products increased by 10.3%, to 11.8 million decaliters.

According to experts, in Russia by 2023 the share of cheap alcoholic beverages in the total consumption of alcohol is growing, and the frequency of visits by Russians to HoReCa establishments (hotels and restaurants) is also decreasing and alcohol consumption outside cafes and restaurants is growing. Low-alcohol drinks are inexpensive alcoholic beverages, and they are consumed mostly outside catering establishments, often on a walk, "on the go."^[15]

2022

Production growth by 2 times in 4 years to 283 million liters

The production of low-alcohol drinks in Russia has more than doubled in 4 years: in 2018 it was measured at 130 million liters, and in 2022 - already 283 million liters. Such data in November 2023 led BusinesStat analysts. According to them, the market volume grew due to an increase in demand in the domestic market and an expansion of the product range.

The study notes that in 2022, a large number of new products appeared on the market of low-alcohol products. Given the increasing popularity of low-alcohol cocktails, cider and mead, a significant part of breweries and wineries replenished their range with similar drinks. So, in 2020, produce cider and poire with a natural composition of the beginning of the Abrau-Durso Group of Companies. In 2022, the production of cider was launched by AB Inbev Efes JSC, MPBK Ochakovo. Manufacturers of low-alcohol cocktails experimented with flavors, expanding the range of products.

The growth of production volumes was partially facilitated by the transfer of drinks from other segments of the alcohol market to the category of low-alcohol products by changing their recipe, the ingredients used. The increase in the excise rate in 2020 on wine drinks and the ongoing reform of winemaking led to a shift in the attention of wine producers to the segment of low-alcohol cocktails, fruit and berry drinks, cider, the researchers point out.

According to them, in 2022, manufacturers faced complications in the supply of some of the imported ingredients that are used in the production of low-alcohol drinks. Thus, according to the results of 2022, the production of poiret almost 2 times decreased, which is due, among other things, to the problems of delivery of imported pear concentrate and aromatic additives. Due to the shortage of components, companies changed the composition of some low-alcohol drinks.^[16]

Cider imports to Russia decreased by a third

In 2022, 4.6 million liters of cider were imported in Russia, which is 33% less than a year ago. Such data in May 2023 led to the analytical agency BusinesStat.

According to experts, international crises have a significant impact on the volume of cider supplies from abroad - for example, in 2020, due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and in 2022, due to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, shipments of this drink were reduced.

In 2022, the largest volumes of cider imports Russia were in, and Belarus, Latvia Hungary in total, 65% of the total annual cider imports, or 3.1 million liters, were imported from these countries. The geopolitical crisis led to a decrease Russia in trade activity between and a number of Western countries, which until 2022 were major suppliers of cider. In 2021, 70% of Britain Ireland Spain Lithuania France Sweden all imported cider was imported from,,, and in 2022, supplies from Sweden and Ireland practically stopped, and imports from, France, Great Britain Lithuania and Spain decreased by half or more. Latvia has become a major hub for cider from other countries - in 2022 Latvia , 0.8 million liters of cider were imported from Russia, most of which was produced in other European countries.

It is expected that after a sharp decline in 2022, the volume of imported cider supplies from 2023 will gradually recover. Thanks to parallel imports, you can not be afraid of the shortage of imported cider in the country. However, import growth rates will be low, due to the increase in domestic cider production, purchases of cider from abroad will be niche in nature and are aimed mainly at expanding the range, BusinesStat warns.^[17]

Sales growth of 50%

According to Rosalkogolregulirovanie, in 2022 sales of low-alcohol drinks increased in Russia by almost 50% compared to the volume of one year ago and reached 16.1 million decaliters. These statistics were published at the end of January 2023.

It says that sales of grape wine increased by only 0.8%. Sales of grape-containing drinks without ethyl alcohol in 2022 decreased by 45.8%, to 5.1 million decaliters, and with ethyl alcohol - by 11.4%, to 1.5 million decaliters. In addition, analysts recorded a decrease in sales of fruit alcoholic beverages by 18.3%, which amounted to 10.1 million decaliters.

The statistics did not take into account the sales of beer, beer drinks, cider, poiret and mead, as well as alcohol sold in catering establishments.

A low-alcohol drink is a finished drink with a volume fraction of ethyl alcohol from 1.2% to 9.0%, based on drinking or mineral water with a total mineralization of no more than 1.0 g/dm3.

The beverage may optionally be sweetened, acidified, carbonated, may optionally contain fruits and berries, juices, plant raw materials, dairy products, beekeeping products, salts, alcoholic beverages, food additives, biologically active additives and other ingredients, with or without addition of ethyl rectified alcohol from the food raw materials.

Low-alcohol beverages are divided into carbonated and non-carbonated, transparent and clouded.

Clear drinks should be free of sediment and foreign impurities, in clouded ones - it is possible to have sediment and suspensions due to the peculiarities of the raw materials used, without foreign impurities. However, it is not allowed to use orthophosphoric acid in the production of low-alcohol drinks.

Low-alcohol beverages, depending on the processing method and production technology, are divided into unpasteurized, pasteurized, hot bottling, aseptic bottling, with preservatives, without preservatives, unfiltered, filtered, with the use of anti-depositing filtration, with the use of alcohol fermentation of wort from food raw materials (fermentation beverages).

2021: Sales growth of 24.3% in physical terms and 26.1% in monetary terms

The production of low-alcohol cocktails (these usually include ready-made drinks gin-tonic, rum-cola, etc.) in Russia by the end of 2021 reached 15.1 million decaliters, which is 58% more than in 2020, and almost twice the volume of 2019. This is evidenced by the data of the Center for Research on Federal and Regional Alcohol Markets (CIFRRA), published in February 2022.

NielsenIQ estimated the growth in sales of low-alcohol cocktails in 2021 in Russia by 24.3% in physical terms and by 26.1% in monetary terms. Most of all in 2021, gin sales increased - by 41.1% and 43.5%, respectively. Pavel Funtikov, head of the NielsenIQ customer service group, noted that in Russia the growing popularity of cocktails is due to the fact that manufacturers are bringing more and more new products to the market.

The Rust group of companies (included in the top 3 manufacturers, its brands - Sunny Breeze, Amore, Bravo) sales of cocktails in 2021 increased by 13% to 1.25 million 9-liter boxes, its representative told Vedomosti. He attributes their popularity to consumer interest in drinks with a lower alcohol content and the fact that the company itself expanded distribution in various distribution channels.

CIFRRA also calls another reason - the reform of winemaking, thanks to which excise rates on wine drinks have increased sharply. In addition, after the entry into force in June 2020 of the law on viticulture and winemaking, such products fall into the category "not wine" and stand out in a special way when sold.

According to a NielsenIQ study, sales of all types of alcoholic beverages in Russia increased in 2021 compared to the previous year by 3.7% in physical terms and by 7.6% in monetary terms. According to experts, the alcohol market has become the most dynamically developing industry in the structure of everyday goods.^[18]

Illegal alcohol in Russia

2023: The Federal Tax Service and the FSB revealed schemes for the shadow production of beer for 2 billion liters. This is more volumes of leading plants

The Federal Tax Service (FTS) and the Federal Security Service (FSB) have discovered two tax evasion schemes in Russia from the sale of beer. Illegal producers annually produce more than 2 billion liters of unaccounted beer, which exceeds the production volumes of leading factories. The amount of unpaid excise taxes and VAT is calculated in tens of billions of rubles. Read more here.

2022: The share of illegal alcohol turnover in the Russian market is 20-25%

The share of illegal alcohol turnover in the Russian market is 20-25%, a representative of the Union of Alcohol Producers said in December 2022.

2021: HSE: Share of illegal alcohol in Russia - 27%

The volume of illegal turnover of strong alcoholic beverages in Russia in 2021 amounted to 27% (about 611 million bottles) of the total amount presented on the Russian market. This was announced on February 9, 2022 by experts from the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE).

According to them, the share of illegal strong alcohol was defined as the difference between total sales and the legal supply on the market. The last value is the sum of production and import. At the same time, export supplies and inventory adjustments are not included in the account.

The HSE estimate is based on data from Rosstat and Rosalkogolregulirovanie. In 2021, sales of strong alcoholic beverages amounted to 1.56 billion liters. Retail trade remains the main channel of sale (98%), the rest is accounted for by the catering segment.

According to the HSE, with a 70% reduction in illegal turnover, the profit of bona fide market participants may grow by 17-18 billion rubles a year. At the same time, state revenues may increase by 73-79 billion rubles a year, mainly due to an increase in excise tax revenues (plus 64-69 billion rubles), experts predict. They note that this can be achieved, among other things, by introducing mandatory labeling of alcohol.

The head of Rosalkogolregulirovanie Igor Aleshin in February 2022 said that the share of illegal alcohol over the past few years has noticeably decreased. This, in particular, is indicated by an increase in the receipt of excise taxes to the budget: in 2021, 23.3 billion rubles more were received than a year earlier (2020 - 381.7 billion rubles, 2021 - 405 billion rubles). At the same time, the volume of alcohol sales according to the results of last year remained at about the level of 2020, he said.^[19]

Illegal online alcohol sales

2021

The turnover of illegal online sale of alcohol is estimated at 2.75 billion rubles

On December 28, 2021, the company Group-IB announced that at the end of the year it estimated the turnover of the "shadow" market sales alcohol Internet in 2021 at 2.75 billion. rubles This is 266 million rubles more than a year earlier. In total, experts Group-IB Digital Risk Protection found about 3,000 online resources - sites, channels messengers in and groups in, social networks selling alcohol bypassing the current legislation. The main alko-messenger has become - the Telegram number of "specialized" channels offering the purchase and delivery of alcoholic beverages has grown 2.5 times over the year. "Alko-bots" came to the aid of illegal sellers of hot drinks in the pre-New Year period.

As reported, for five years now at the end of the year, Group-IB Digital Risk Protection experts have traditionally estimated the turnover of illegal online alcohol sales: in 2017 it reached 1.7 billion rubles, in 2018 already 2.1 billion rubles, in 2019 and 2020 it stopped at around 2.5 billion rubles. In 2021, the shadow market again went into growth - the reason was both the increased prices for alcohol by 2.46%, and the popularity during the period pandemics of remote online purchases. So, in the past year, the number of queries in the search engine " Yandex buy alcohol with delivery" from January to November exceeded 108,000 - an increase of almost 2 times compared to the previous year.

Despite the fact that delivery of alcoholic beverages is officially prohibited in Russia, Group-IB Digital Risk Protection experts discovered on the Internet in 2021 about 3,000 online platforms for the sale of hot, including smuggled and produced and sold without paying taxes.

Over the past four years, due to large-scale blocking by companies that protect brands on the Internet and Roskomnadzor, the number of clandestine alkomarkets sites has halved: if in 2018 there were about 4,000, in 2019 there are already 2,500 resources, in 2020 and 2021 - 2,000 sites. However, for each such alcohol market, "alcohol kings" prepare "spare airfields" - "mirrors" of the main sites, on average, 15 domains for each alcohol market. During the study in 2021, experts managed to discover the largest network, which consisted of about 122 related domain names. This is due to the desire of merchants to ensure business stability: if one domain is blocked, all content will quickly "move" to another and continue brisk trading.

Against the background of a decrease in the number of sites, the audience of alcohol stores in social networks and instant messengers is growing. Group-IB experts found about 300 different groups and accounts on social networks offering the sale of booze with home delivery, as well as the sale of counterfeit alcohol. Most sellers use the popular scheme, offering to purchase alcohol complete with gift "sweet bouquets" - with fruits or sweets. At the same time, despite the decrease in the number of groups in social networks, the number of subscribers increased by 3.8 times.

The main alcohol market this year was the Telegram messenger - Digital Risk Protection experts found about 130 alkokanals (in 2020 there were only 50) with a total number of subscribers of about 750,000 (there were 160,000). This also includes various chatboats - - at least 15 of them were found - for the delivery of alcoholic beverages and channels selling "components" for artisanal alcohol production - alcohol, containers, lids, plugs and labels.

Group-IB specialists assessed the economic indicators of the shadow alcohol market in 2021. With an average attendance of a website selling alcohol with delivery of 1,965 people per month, a minimum conversion (1%) and an average cost of one purchase of 1,557 rubles, the earnings of 1,700 online stores amounted to about 624 million rubles in 2021. Plus, the annual turnover of sites with fake duplicates ranges from 225 601 200 rubles a year.

Noticing a couple of years ago the active migration of alcohol sellers to social networks and instant messengers, Group-IB specialists also estimated the turnover of alcohol sales on social networks and instant messengers - it amounted to 1.9 billion rubles with an audience of 82.4 million users. Thus, the total turnover of illegal online alcohol sales on all online sites at the end of 2021 amounted to about 2.75 billion rubles against 2.5 billion rubles in 2020.

In 2021, the turnover of illegal online alcohol sales increased again, but these figures may only be the tip of the "iceberg" due to the latency of the shadow business. Underground online alcohol trading entails high risks for buyers: there is no guarantee that the product will be an original, and not a health-threatening fake. It should be borne in mind that for manufacturers of branded alcohol, counterfeiting of their products can also result in serious reputational risks and financial losses. told Andrey Busargin, Deputy General Director of Group-IB in the direction of protection against digital risks

Group-IB Digital Risk Protection experts recommend that manufacturers not only conduct initial monitoring of the brand's information field, but also regularly use a continuous monitoring system that can control trading platforms on the Internet, and also helps to quickly respond and eliminate violations that pose a danger to both buyers and the brand itself.

Illegal alcohol trade in Runet increased to 2.75 billion rubles

In 2021, the turnover of illegal online alcohol sales in Russia reached 2.75 billion rubles, an increase of 266 million rubles compared to 2020. Such data on December 28, 2021 were provided by Group-IB, a company specializing in information security.

In total, experts identified about 3 thousand sites, channels in instant messengers and groups in social networks selling alcohol bypassing the current legislation. Telegram has become the main "alco-messenger" - the number of "specialized" channels offering the purchase and delivery of alcoholic beverages has grown 2.5 times over the year, the study says.

Against the background of a decrease in the number of sites, the audience of alcohol stores in social networks and instant messengers is growing. The first found about 300 diverse groups and accounts offering the sale of home-delivered booze as well as counterfeit alcohol. Despite the decrease in the number of groups on social networks, the number of their subscribers increased by 3.8 times.

The growth of underground online alcohol trading in Group-IB is explained not only by an increase in alcohol prices, but also by the reorientation of Russians to online purchases. At the same time, the official ban on the delivery of alcoholic beverages does not bother either the residents of the country themselves or businessmen. In 2021, the number of queries in the Yandex search engine with the phrase "buy alcohol with delivery" doubled, reaching 108 thousand, experts say.

According to Group-IB, with the average attendance of a website selling alcohol with delivery, 1965 people per month and the average cost of one purchase of 1,557 rubles, the earnings of 1,700 online stores in 2021 reached 624 million rubles. The turnover of sites offering fakes amounted to 225.6 million rubles. The turnover of alcohol sales in social networks and instant messengers is 1.9 billion rubles.^[20]

2020: Sales remained at 2.5 billion rubles

The volume of illegal turnover on the Russian Internet at the end of 2020 reached 2.5 billion rubles, which approximately corresponds to the indicator of one year ago. Such data on December 29 were cited by Group-IB, a company specializing in preventing cyber attacks.

According to experts, the turnover of the shadow market for the sale of alcohol in Runet remained due to restrictions associated with the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, and a reduction in supplies to corporate parties, holidays and other public events, as well as to small drinking establishments and retail outlets.

Due to self-isolation and restrictions on offline trading , the number of searches for online purchases of alcohol with delivery almost doubled in 2020. Moreover, the peak fell on the first wave of coronavirus - in April 2020, the number of search queries "buy alcohol with delivery" four times exceeded the number of requests a year earlier. At the same time, buyers increasingly ordered alcohol not for corporate parties, friendly feasts or family holidays, but exclusively "for themselves," the study says.

According to Group-IB estimates, the average traffic on the site that sells alcohol with delivery in 2020 was 120 users per day or 3,600 people per month. With a minimum conversion of 1% and an average cost of one purchase of 1,250 rubles, 2,000 online stores earn from 90 million rubles a month. This is more than 1.08 billion rubles per year.

The main sources of alcohol purchases at the end of the year were Instagram and Telegram, Group-IB notes. In terms of sales, social networks and instant messengers have already bypassed traditional online resources. Telegram has identified more than 50 active channels and groups (in 2019 - there were 30). 

Also in 2020, Group-IB specialists found about 50 resources that sell duplicates of well-known brands of alcoholic beverages, as openly stated on the sites themselves.^[21]

2019: Group-IB: The turnover of illegal online sale of alcohol exceeded 2.5 billion rubles

On December 27, 2019, the company Group-IB announced that the turnover of the "shadow" sales market alcohol Internet in 2019 exceeded 2.5 billion rubles. This is almost 400 million (+ rubles 19%) more than in 2018. In total, the experts of the direction F6 Digital Risk Protection (ранее Brand Protection) found about 2,500 Internet sites, accounts or groups in, social networks trading alcohol bypassing the current legislation. Experts note that mass blocking of sites Roskomnadzor with remote sale of alcohol leads to the "migration" of underground sellers to, and messengers mobile applications social networks.

For the third year in a row, Group-IB Brand Protection specialists have been measuring the turnover of illegal online alcohol sales. In 2019, about 2,500 sites, accounts and groups in social networks selling alcoholic beverages on the Internet were discovered (in 2018 there were more of them - about 4,000). The grid of the largest online alcohol store, which was discovered during the study by Brand Protection specialists, consisted of 94 related domains. This amount of resources is necessary so that alcohol sellers, in the event of blocking one of their sites, can quickly "move" to another.

Mass blockages continued in 2019 by Roskomnadzor (RKN) of resources with the remote sale of alcohol led, on the one hand, to a reduction in the number of sites, and on the other, to the introduction of other formats of trade and "migration" of alcohol dealers to instant messengers. Accounts are used to advertise, promote the online store itself, contact customers and even hunt new hires to expand illegal businesses. Brand Protection Group-IB experts have discovered about 30 large alco-channels on Telegram. Such Telegram stores are characterized by a large number of subscribers from 20,000 to 50,000 thousand people, as well as special chat bots for the delivery or sale of large consignments of goods. Here, in Telegram, new sellers are hunting. One of the specialized Telegram channels has announced a set for a master class of illegal online alcohol sales with guaranteed earnings of 100 thousand rubles per month.

Traditionally, illegal business is also widely represented on Instagram - at least 50 Insta stores offer alcohol with delivery at wholesale or reduced prices. Mobile applications designed for the sale of alcohol use a proven scheme for the sale of souvenirs, "gift" to which strong alcoholic beverages go. Such schemes are used by both resellers selling alcohol from retail chains on the Internet and fraudsters selling counterfeit goods.

Brand Protection Group-IB specialists estimated the economic indicators of the shadow alcohol market in 2019: the average traffic on the site selling alcohol with delivery is 200 users per day or 6,000 people per month. With a minimum conversion (1%) and an average cost of one purchase of 1,390 rubles, 2,430 online stores earn from 202.7 million rubles a month. In addition, Group-IB experts have recorded about 70 resources that sell duplicates of well-known brands of alcoholic beverages, which is often openly mentioned on the sites themselves. Site traffic with fakes averages 160 visitors per day or 4,230 per month. The average check on such a resource is 492 rubles. With the same conversion of 1%, the income of sellers of duplicate alcohol is 1.7 million rubles a month; 20.4 million rubles annually.

Thus, the turnover of illegal online alcohol sales at the end of 2019 amounted to about 2.5 billion rubles against 2.1 billion rubles a year earlier (+ 19%). In 2019, consumer demand also increased significantly - the number of searches for the phrase "Buy alcohol" in 2019 compared to last year in search engines increased by 34.6%. As a rule, peaks of such requests fall on pre-holiday and holidays - New Year, Christmas, May holidays, March 8, etc.

"In 2019, the turnover of illegal online alcohol sales increased again, although the growth rate is slowing down and the number of illegal alcohol networks as a result of blocking has decreased. Since the demand from buyers does not decrease, "alcohol kings" are looking for new formats of underground trade and are actively developing time-tested channels for illegal implementation - instant messengers and social networks, " noted' Andrey Busargin, Head of Innovative Intellectual Property Protection at Group-IB '

Group-IB stressed that the retail sale of alcohol remotely in Russia is prohibited and official manufacturers cannot legally distribute alcohol online. This niche is occupied by illegal sellers: in 2018, the turnover of the "shadow" market for the sale of alcohol on the Internet amounted to 2.1 billion rubles, and in 2017 - 1, 7 billion rubles.

Excise taxes on alcohol

2022: Increase in excise taxes on alcohol by 9.6% to 444.1 billion rubles

In Russia, in 2022, the receipt of excise taxes on ethyl alcohol, alcoholic and alcohol-containing products amounted to 444.1 billion rubles, which is 9.6% more than a year earlier. Such data in Rosalkogolregulirovanie (RAR) were disclosed in early April 2023.

According to Interfax, citing materials from the department, at the end of 2022, 1 billion 11.4 million decaliters of alcohol were recorded in the EGAIS, which is 2.2% more compared to 2021. Imports of products registered in EGAIS decreased by 11.4%, to 95.8 million decaliters, exports grew by 1.1%, to 44.1 million decaliters.

The volume of retail sales of labeled products recorded in the EGAIS in 2022 increased by 3.3%, to 226.6 million decaliters. Unmarked products were sold in the amount of 774.1 million decaliters (+ 0.4% by 2021).

In 2022, the RAR checked 533.63 thousand decaliters of ethyl alcohol, alcoholic and alcohol-containing products for legality. 449.1 thousand decaliters of products were recognized as counterfeit, 414.78 thousand decaliters were arrested according to the results of inspections. According to court decisions, 388.93 thousand decaliters of products were confiscated, 579.85 thousand decaliters were destroyed, including those confiscated in previous years.

In 2022, 111.1 million rubles of fines were collected from violators, which is almost half as much as in 2021 (212 million rubles). In addition, the RAR found 250 pieces of equipment at 75 illegal production facilities, of which 175 pieces from 65 facilities were dismantled and removed for storage and disposal. By decision of the courts, 330.9 tons of basic technological equipment were disposed of from 82 illegal production facilities. In addition, in 2022, 26 vehicles carrying illegal products were seized from violators.^[22]

Alcohol poisoning

2023: The number of alcohol poisoning in Russia in 9 years decreased by 34%

The number of cases of acute poisoning with alcohol-containing products Russia in the period from 2014 to 2023 decreased by 34%, according to data Rospotrebnadzor published in early June 2024 in the report "On the state of sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population in the Russian Federation in 2023." At the same time, the number of deaths from such poisoning over the same period decreased by 29.9%.

In total, over 9 years, 426 thousand cases of acute poisoning with alcohol-containing products were registered in the Russian Federation, of which 116 thousand "27.2%" ended in the death of victims. In 2023, the rate of acute poisoning amounted to 22.20 cases per 100 thousand population.

The number of cases of acute poisoning with alcohol-containing products in Russia for the period from 2014 to 2023 decreased by 34%

In 2023, acute poisoning with alcohol-containing products above the average Russian level was recorded in 33 constituent entities of the Russian Federation, the department's report says.

The leaders in the number of poisonings were Altai Krasnoyarsk the regions, as well as, Samara region where the indicators exceeded the average Russian level by 3-4 times. In,, Arkhangelskaya Lipetsk Novosibirsk regions, and this Chuvashia To Tuva figure was 2-2.5 times higher.

The main causes of poisoning, according to Rospotrebnadzor, are the use of denaturate, cologne, perfumes, wipers, surrogates of alcohol, technical alcohols and other dangerous substances. At the same time, ethanol poisoning occupies a leading place.

According to the department, in parallel with a decrease in the number of poisoning in Russia, there is also a decrease in the volume of sales of alcoholic beverages per capita. From 2014 to 2023, this figure decreased by 21.5%, including sales of vodka and distilleries - by 19.5%, champagne and sparkling wines - by 46.3%, beer - by 18.2%, cognac - by 20.7%.

As noted in Rospotrebnadzor, despite the positive dynamics, the problem of poisoning with alcohol-containing products in Russia remains relevant and requires an integrated approach, including measures to prevent alcoholism, tighten control over the circulation of alcohol-containing liquids and increase public awareness of the risks of their use.^[23]

2022: 41.7% reduction in alcohol-containing liquid poisoning over 9 years

The number of acute poisoning with alcohol-containing products per 100 thousand of the population decreased by Russia 41.7% from 2013 to 2022, and the number of deaths for this reason - by 33.7%. Such data Rospotrebnadzor was published in early June 2023.

According to Interfax, citing materials from the department, in 2022 the rate of acute poisoning with alcohol-containing products amounted to 21.20 cases per 100 thousand population. For 2013-2022 445,851 cases of acute poisoning with alcohol-containing products were recorded, including 119,666 fatal (26.8%).

In 2022, 79% of alcohol-containing poisoning occurred in men (24,442 cases) and 21% in women (6,475 cases). Poisoning among the adult population (from 18 years and older) accounted for 91.4% (28,248 cases), poisoning among adolescents (from 15 to 17 years inclusive) - 4.7% (1,450 cases) and poisoning among children (from 0 to 14 years inclusive) - 3.9% (1219 cases).

In 2022, acute poisoning with alcohol-containing products above the average Russian level was recorded in 27 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The largest excess was noted in the Altai Territory, the Republic of Tuva and in St. Petersburg (3.3 times). At the same time, the indicator of acute poisoning with alcohol-containing products with fatal outcomes above the average Russian level was recorded in 41 subjects: from 3.1 to 4.3 times in the Kurgan, Penza and Arkhangelsk regions and the Altai Republic.

The main causes of poisoning were, among other things, poisoning with ethanol and alcohol, unspecified. At the same time, as noted in the material of Rospotrebnadzor, over the course of the analyzed period, "there is a tendency towards an increase in the specific gravity of cases of acute poisoning with alcohol-containing products with fatal outcome to the total number of cases of acute poisoning with alcohol-containing products from 0.26% in 2013 to 0.30% in 2022."^[24]

Alcohol-related mortality

2020

Mortality from alcohol poisoning in Russia has decreased by 60% in 12 years - head of the Ministry of Health

In 2020, mortality from accidental alcohol poisoning decreased by 60% compared to 2008. This was announced on September 16, 2021 by the head of the Ministry of Health of the RFMikhail Murashko. Read more here.

Mortality from alcohol poisoning in Russia over 10 years decreased by 53%

Mortality from alcohol poisoning in Russia over 10 years decreased by 53% - from 15 cases per 100 thousand people in 2009 to 7 cases in 2020. This was reported to the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation in June 2022. Read more here.

Mortality from alcohol in Russia for the year increased by 3 thousand people

Mortality from alcohol in Russia in 2020 increased by more than 3 thousand people. The rise was due to COVID-19 the coronavirus pandemic, against the background of which Russians began to sit at home more often and consume alcoholic beverages. This is evidenced by the data Rosstat released in June 2021. More. here

Minimum age for the purchase of alcoholic beverages in countries of the world

Alcoholism

Main article: Alcoholism

Sobering-up stations

Main article: Sobering-up centers

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