Alcoholic beverages (Russian market)

The main articles are:

• Alcoholic Beverages (Global Market)
• Russian economy

Popularity of alcohol types

Map of the popularity of alcoholic beverages in countries around the world, (circa 2012)

Click to enlarge

Alcohol consumption

2023

Reduction in alcohol consumption to 8.44 litres of ethanol per capita

According to the results of 2023, alcohol consumption in Russia amounted to 8.44 liters of ethanol per capita against 9.43 liters in 2018. This is evidenced by the data of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, published in April 2024.

According to the Concept for reducing alcohol consumption for the period until 2030, which was approved by the Government of the Russian Federation, by this time it is planned to reduce alcohol consumption for each resident of Russia to 7.8 liters of ethanol.

Alcohol consumption in Russia at the end of 2023 amounted to 8.44 liters of ethanol per capita

The concept until 2030 sets the main tasks to strengthen the values ​ ​ of a healthy lifestyle, the development of a system for the prevention of alcohol abuse, as well as the development of a system of medical rehabilitation, social adaptation and resocialization of persons with alcohol dependence, the Ministry of Health said in a statement.

Within the framework of this document, the following measures are planned:

• strengthening preventive measures, including improving the practice of early detection of harmful alcohol consumption and preventive counseling, as well as measures aimed at increasing adherence to clinical monitoring;
• development and implementation of additional measures to reduce the inappropriate consumption of medicines, perfumes and cosmetics and other alcohol-containing liquids containing alcohol;
• countering illegal production and circulation of alcoholic beverages, avoiding the payment of excise taxes on alcoholic, alcohol-containing products and ethyl alcohol;
• expanding the participation of Russian regions and municipalities in the development and adoption of measures, replicating the best municipal, regional and corporate programs to reduce alcohol consumption;
• attracting socially oriented non-profit organizations, which will strengthen the effectiveness of measures taken and increase social participation.^[1]

Record sales of strong alcohol over 7 years - 7.2 liters per capita

In 2023, a record volume of strong alcohol was sold in Russia - 7.2 liters per capita. This is 3.6% more than the volume of sales of vodka, cognac and distillery products stronger than 25 degrees in 2022. This is evidenced by data from FinExpertiza analysts published on February 26, 2024.

According to the study, the Far East and the Northwest account for the largest consumption of spirits. In 2023, the highest retail sales of strong alcohol per capita were recorded in Karelia (16.1 liters per person per year), Sakhalin Region (15.1 liters), Komi Republic (14.7 liters), Magadan Region (14 liters) and Arkhangelsk Region (13.1 liters). At the same time, the lowest sales of vodka and cognac remain in the Caucasian regions: in Chechnya (less than 0.1 liters per person in 2023), Ingushetia (0.6 liters), Kabardino-Balkaria (1.3 liters), North Ossetia (1.3 liters) and Dagestan (1.4 liters). The leader in wine consumption is St. Petersburg, where in 2023 about 11 liters of drink were sold for each resident

Vodka accounted for about two-thirds of spirits sales in 2023. At the same time, the consumption of this drink decreased, albeit slightly - by 0.2%, to 5.3 liters per person. Sales of cognac - to one liter per person - and other hot drinks stronger than 25 degrees increased by about 10% in 2023.

Beer remained the most popular alcoholic beverage among Russians in 2023. According to FinExpertiza, brewing products are sold on average 3.5 times more than all other types of alcohol. In 2023, stores, restaurants and bars sold and spilled 53.3 litres of beer and beer drinks (as well as cider, poiret and mead) per capita, a 2.6% increase over a year ago.^[2]

The Government of the Russian Federation approved the concept of reducing alcohol consumption until 2030

The Government of the Russian Federation approved the concept of reducing alcohol consumption until 2030. This was reported in the press service of the Russian Ministry of Health on December 15, 2023.

According to TASS, referring to the statement of the department, the main goals of the document are:

• reducing alcohol consumption, as well as the morbidity, disability and mortality associated with its consumption;
• strengthening the values ​ ​ of a healthy lifestyle;
• development of the alcohol abuse prevention system;
• development of a system of medical rehabilitation, social adaptation and resocialization of persons with alcohol dependence.

In addition, as noted by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, the concept is aimed at strengthening the prevention of alcohol use by improving ways to early detect harmful alcohol use. The concept also includes measures to reduce the off-target consumption of medicines and perfumes containing alcohol.

The main result of the implementation of the concept should be a decrease in actual indicators of alcohol consumption per capita. So if, in 2023, such an indicator is 8.9 liters of ethanol for each resident of Russia, then by 2030 it should decrease to 7.8 liters, the Ministry of Health added.

The ministry believes that expanding the participation of regions and municipalities in the development and adoption of measures, replicating the best municipal, regional and corporate programs to reduce alcohol consumption, as well as the best practices of employers to prevent alcohol consumption, attracting socially oriented NGOs will strengthen the effectiveness of the measures taken and increase public participation in solving the problem of alcohol consumption.

According to Rosalkogoltabacregulirovanie, in January - July 2023, retail sales of alcoholic beverages excluding beer, cider, mead increased by 4% compared to the same period in 2022, to 126.85 million^[3]

2022

Alcohol sales in Russia increased by 2% and reached 6.44 liters of ethanol per capita

Alcohol sales in Russia in 2022 increased by 2% compared to 2021 and reached 6.44 liters of ethanol per capita. This is evidenced by the data of the Ministry of Health, which were released in early July 2023.

As Izvestia writes with reference to the materials of the department, the target value of alcohol sales in the Russian Federation in 2022 was 6.2 liters per capita. From 2008 to 2021 there was a decline, during this period sales fell by 48%, to 6.3 liters.

Rosalkogolregulirovanie (RAR) noted that retail sales per capita have grown annually since at least 2019, when they amounted to 6 liters of ethanol.

These statistics confirm the growth of legal retail sales of alcoholic beverages. We are not talking about an increase in alcohol consumption, these figures perfectly illustrate the steady trend of recent years in the whitewashing of the market, - noted in the RAP.

That is, the consumer makes a choice in favor of legal products, refusing to purchase dangerous illegal alcohol, the regulator explained.

Alcohol producers interviewed by the newspaper also agree with this: alcohol sales do not indicate that people began to drink more. The figures indicate how the ratio of legal and illegal products in the structure of consumption has changed, the Union of Alcohol Producers noted.

The Ministry of Health itself does not name the reasons for the growth in alcohol sales in 2022. At the same time, the department proposes new restrictive measures to break the emerging trend - for example, to limit the implementation time at the federal level from 20:00 to 11:00 instead of the current framework from 23:00 to 8:00.

However, the Ministry of Finance opposes the proposal of the Ministry of Health: they believe that additional temporary restrictions on the sale of alcohol may spur an increase in the consumption of illegal alcohol and its surrogates. This will increase the risks of threatening the life and health of citizens, the ministry concluded.^[4]

Increase in consumption of strong alcohol by 7.5% to 6.8 liters per person

In 2022, the consumption of strong alcohol - vodka, cognac and distillery products is stronger than 25 degrees - in Russia amounted to 6.8 liters per person, which is 7.5% more than a year earlier. At the same time, wine consumption decreased by 5.5% (to 6.2 liters), and beer did not change (52.2 liters). Such data analysts FinExpertiza led on March 6, 2023.

Alcohol is in greatest demand among residents of the northern and Far Eastern regions. Leaders in retail sales of strong alcohol steel Karelia (15.5 liters per person per year), (14.9 Sakhalin Oblast liters), (Komi Republic 14.6 liters). Traditionally, residents of the Caucasian republics are indifferent to alcohol - (Chechnya 0.1 liters of strong alcohol per capita per year) and (0.5 Ingushetia liters).

Consumption of beer products in 2022 decreased in 32 regions of the Russian Federation, increased - in 53. Most beer was purchased at retail by residents of the Jewish Autonomous Region (93.2 liters per person per year, that is, 1.8 times more than the national average).

Wine consumption in 2022, on the contrary, increased only in eight regions. Most of the wine products in terms of per capita were sold in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (11.7 liters per person), Karelia (11 liters) and the Moscow region (10.2 liters).

According to the researchers, sales of vodka and cognac in 2022 increased due to the smallest rise in price relative to wine and beer. In addition, as noted by the member of the board of directors of FinExpertiza Aghvan Mikaelyan, the use of alcoholic beverages is traditionally perceived by many people as the easiest and most affordable way to reduce anxiety and stress levels. According to the company, by mid-2022, Russian spending on alcohol, tobacco products and sweets increased by 20%.^[5]

Growth in 1 half of alcohol production by 9%

On October 13, 2022, the Gradus agency shared the results of a study of the elite strong alcohol market. The company's experts made a cut into the main commodity categories and analyzed exactly how the situation in this market segment has changed over the past year. The studies considered sales of 5 categories of strong alcohol, which included cognac, premium vodka, costing from 459 rubles per unit of goods, whiskey, rum and gin. We compared the period from February to June 2021 and the same period in 2022. Integrated OFD data enriched with field studies in retail chains are based on.

The demand for alcohol Russia in is still strong, despite the decline in real income population and short-term impairment ruble in the spring of 2022. According to, in the to data Federal Service for Alcohol Market Regulation 1 half of 2022, alcohol production in Russia increased by 9% in annual terms to 83.8 million DAL. The demand for domestic alcohol grew quite strongly in the 1 half of 2022 year compared to the same period of 2021 due to a decrease in sales of imported alcohol due to the departure of a number of foreign brands and sanctions from Western countries. Due to sanctions the import of strong drinks in Russia in the 1 half of 2022, it fell by 35% to the same period in 2021. In addition to reducing imports, in 2022, such large world producers of strong alcohol as Diageo Brown Forman, and a number of Maxxium Russia other well-known brands left Russia. In the absence of world brands of strong alcohol, their niche very quickly began to fill with domestic products, primarily premium segment vodka.

Consumer preferences have not changed. The most popular strong alcoholic beverage in the upper price segment remains cognac, vodka is only in third place after whiskey.

At the same time, it can be noted that sales of strong alcohol are very dependent on the dynamics of the average retail price. So in February-July 2022, the maximum annual growth was shown by gin sales expressed in DAL, an increase of 50% year-on-year. And in units of sold bottles (in pieces), gin sales increased by 55% in annual terms to 14.3 million units. The reason for this increase in gin sales was a decrease in prices for this drink by 1.1% in annual terms. Basically, the share of Russian manufacturers increased from 50.52 to 56.02%, and the share of the main competitor, Great Britain, in this segment decreased from 37.8% to 28.51%.

Regardless of price, sales in 2022 are higher than in 2021. In 2021, the seasonality of sales was traced (spikes in March and May), and in 2022, consumption volumes became more uniform. In February 2022, the volume of consumption was 46% higher than in February 2021. By April, consumption gradually decreased, but was still noticeably higher than last year. In June, the indicators of 2022 came as close as possible to the volumes of 2021.

As for prices: the lowest price was observed in February, in comparison with the same period 2021 it is 5% less, but in March there was an increase of 9%, which is 6% higher than the prices of March 2021. Most of all, the price of vodka increased in June + 7%

A similar trend can be observed in the cognac and brandy segment. On average, prices for cognac and brandy increased in February-July 2022 by 5.1% in annual terms, and a slight increase in prices, which lagged behind inflation, contributed to an increase in sales of these drinks by 28.5% year-on-year. Due to a decrease in sales of imported products from France and Armenia due not only to sanctions, but also to the depreciation of the ruble in the spring, which led to an increase in the price of imported goods, Russian manufacturers in this period were able to increase their market share from 52% a year earlier to 55.57%. At the same time, the share of cognac and brandy from Georgia increased in the specified period from 7.5 to 8.5%. According to research, cognac remains the most popular strong premium alcoholic beverage in Russian chains. Sales in the segment are 45% and 47%.

In the rum and whiskey segments, Russian producers occupy rather modest shares: in the rum market, their share in February-July 2022 was only 4%, and in the whiskey market 27%. However, it can be noted that in the Roma market, Russian producers could not increase their share and even reduced it year-to-year, despite the withdrawal of Western competitors from the market, due to a 48% increase in price in annual terms. But in the whisky market, Russian manufacturers increased sales in DAL by 77% year-on-year, which was associated both with the departure of some Western companies from Russia and with an increase in prices for the remaining imported brands, primarily Scotch whiskey.

Experts of the Gradus agency expect that in the second half of the year the growth in demand for strong alcohol will continue. Lower prices by domestic producers can lead to double-digit growth in sales of strong alcohol, and this is supported by ambitious plans by Russian producers to increase sales of gin and whiskey, as well as premium vodka.

Alcohol consumption in Russia decreased by 43%

Since 2008, alcohol consumption in Russia has decreased by 43%. The Minister of Health RFMikhail Murashko told reporters about this on September 11, 2022.

According to him, by the end of 2021, the alcohol consumption rate among Russians was 9 liters per capita per year, while in 2008 - 15.7 liters. The incidence and mortality rates associated with alcohol consumption have also decreased, the head of the Ministry of Health noted.

Earlier, the chief freelance narcologist of the Ministry of Health said that a third of Russians are "quiet alcoholics."

Шаблон:Quote 'One glass (50 ml of strong alcohol) for a month every day is already alcohol abuse. After a month of such use, the liver marker shows that a person is abusing. And there are about 30% of such people in the population, "he noted. In 2021, the deputy head of the Ministry of Health Oleg Salagai also said that since 2008, alcohol consumption per capita in terms of alcohol in the Russian Federation has been decreasing annually - from 15.7 to 9.1 liters. This indicator is calculated by a complex formula, which takes into account legal and illegal sales of alcohol, poisoning from it and mortality. According to the Ministry of Health, in 2008-2021, mortality from alcohol poisoning decreased from 16.9 to 7 cases per 100 thousand people.^[6]

Structure of alcohol sales in Russia

2021

Retail sales of alcohol decreased by 0.7%

According to the estimates of the National Union for the Protection of Consumer Rights, in general, the volume of retail sales of alcoholic beverages (without beer and drinks made on the basis of beer, as well as cider, poire and mead) in the Russian Federation in 2021 decreased by 0.7%, to 212.8 million decaliters.^[7]

The most drinking regions of Russia

The most drinking regions at the end of 2021 were the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, the Komi Republic and the Sakhalin Region. This is stated in the report on the demographic situation of the federal project "Sober Russia," which was released at the end of December 2021.

According to RIA Novosti with reference to this study, the least alcohol is consumed in Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan. The fourth place among the most non-drinking regions is occupied by the Kabardino-Balkar Republic, and closes the top five Karachay-Cherkessia.

State Duma deputy Sultan Khamzaev, who is the leader of the Sober Russia project, said that this rating is a scientifically based, independent report of specialists: psychologists, journalists, sociologists, lawyers, economists, historians. It was based on data on the number of deaths from alcohol poisoning, the number of patients registered in medical and preventive institutions diagnosed with alcoholism and alcoholic psychosis, crimes committed by drunk Russians, as well as the regional volume of alcohol sold in the region in liters of pure alcohol.

The sales volume for the following types of alcoholic beverages was taken into account: vodka, alcoholic beverages with an ethyl alcohol content of more than and up to 25%, cognac and cognac drinks, natural and sparkling wine, wine drinks, beer.

As the authors of the report noted, all data for each region were taken from open sources of Rosstat and statistics of relevant departments.

According to Rossiyskaya Gazeta, earlier studies of Sober Russia were criticized by the expert community, which believes that it is necessary to count the amount of alcohol drunk per capita.

It was this indicator that was and remains the most objective not only in Russia, but also in the world when compiling a rating of the most drinkers and non-drinkers. The exception is only small regions of the Caucasus, where Islamic traditions are strong - Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia. But even there people drink, and in Dagestan they also develop the culture of home winemaking, - Director of the Center for Research on Federal and Regional Alcohol Markets Vadim Drobiz.[8]

2020

Alcohol consumption in Russia since 2010 has decreased by 32%, to 10.8 liters of ethanol

In 2020, compared to 2010, alcohol consumption in Russia among people over 15 years of age decreased by 32% - from 15.8 liters to 10.8 liters of ethanol. Such data at the end of April 2021 were cited by the Minister of Health of the Russian Federation Mikhail Murashko on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the first global conference on non-communicable diseases.

According to Murashko, the impact of alcohol consumption on mortality among men is up to 75%. Among women with primary cardiac muscle involvement, the effect of alcohol can be up to 70 %-odd.

According to the report of the Sober Russia project, by the end of 2020, more than 85% of able-bodied Russians drink alcohol, which is over 76 million people. The authors of the study claim that 70% of deaths in the working-age population are associated with alcohol abuse. According to Sober Russia, beer (8.5 billion liters per year) and vodka (1 billion liters per year) became the most popular alcoholic beverages among Russians.

Experts also recorded an increase in systematic alcohol consumption among young people. Thus, among the young population of Russia, the share of those who regularly consume alcoholic beverages amounted to 69%. This is 16% higher than in 2018, stressed in "Sober Russia."

According to Rosalkogolregulirovanie, in 2020, despite the isolation regime and other restrictions due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, alcohol sales in Russia remained almost at the same level - 219.2 million decaliters. At the same time, sales of beer and fermentation drinks in general increased by 4.3% and reached 759.5 million decaliters.

It is also reported that with the help of EGAIS in 2020, more than 4.1 billion bottles of alcohol were processed and more than 13.4 million attempts to sell alcohol with violation were blocked. The amount of excise taxes on ethyl alcohol, alcoholic and alcohol-containing products during the year increased by 8.4 billion rubles and amounted to 381.7 billion rubles.^[9]

Alcohol sales growth in Russia by 6.1% - NielsenIQ

Alcohol sales in Russia at the end of 2020 rose by 6.1% compared to 2019, when the growth rate was lower and measured + 4.2%. This is evidenced by data from NielsenIQ analysts. Rosalkogolregulirovanie (RAR), which takes into account the sale of alcohol both in stores and in public catering, agrees with these figures.

According to Vedomosti, citing a NielsenIQ study, beer sales in 2020 increased by 4.4% to 674.7 million decaliters, beer drinks - by 2.8% to 77.4 million decaliters, although a year earlier they were declining.

In 2020, demand for low-alcohol drinks such as cider and mead increased by 10.7%, with sales falling a year ago. Gin sales, according to NielsenIQ, increased by 57%, rum - by 21.6%, fruit wines - by 17%. At the same time, sales of wine drinks containing up to 50% of wine, as well as sugar, flavors and other additives, decreased by a third.

Vodka sales in 2020 increased slightly - by 0.4%, to 73.7 million decaliters. However, consumption growth may be higher due to the growth of the illegal market, which does not fall into official statistics, the newspaper writes.

According to experts interviewed by Vedomosti, Russians spent more time at home in 2020, which stimulated consumption at home. They noted that the lack of other entertainment due to quarantine and the very situation with the coronavirus COVID-19 spurred "treatment" with alcohol from poor mood.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade noted that the tourist boom in the southern regions, which occurred due to the closure of traditional holiday destinations, spurred the demand for retail wine. For example, in Crimea, the increase reached 44-45% during peak periods. In addition to increasing sales of alcohol in retail stores, the Ministry of Industry and Trade recorded the interest of Russians in buying alcohol on the Internet.^[10]

2019: How much alcohol Russians drink with different social status

Data collected by the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the Higher School of Economics indicate that highly qualified specialists and managers in Russia are less likely to completely refuse alcoholic beverages than workers and holders of low classification. The corresponding study was published at the end of June 2023.

Experts studied the data of surveys of 50 thousand working women and men aged 16 to 55 and 60 years, respectively, which were conducted from 2013 to 2019. According to the results of the study, highly qualified specialists also abuse alcohol less often than low-skilled ones. The authors of the scientific work suggest that high social status and qualifications, on the one hand, suggest a better understanding of the dangers of alcohol abuse, and on the other, participation in status events, where a glass of high-quality alcoholic beverage can be an important formality.

The share of those who consumed alcohol at least once a month did not change very much for seven years: from 57% in 2013 to 51% in 2019. Women who drink are expected to be less than men - an average of 10 percentage points. At the same time, both men and women had a higher share of alcohol among qualified specialists and managers than among workers. Highly qualified people drink vodka and beer noticeably less often, and wine and spirits more often than unskilled workers.

Highly skilled and educated workers drink more expensive and high-quality alcohol, maybe several times a week, but moderately. As for people with low professional and social status, there is a different style of consumption. This is cheap alcohol, perhaps once or twice a week, but in a larger volume. In this regard, we can expect more significant consequences of alcohol abuse both for themselves and for society as a whole, - summarized one of the authors of the work, associate professor of the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the Higher School of Economics Natalya Khorkina.[11]

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.^[12]

Beer

Main article: Beer (Russian market)

Strong alcohol

Vodka

Main article: Vodka (Russian market)

Cognac

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).^[13]

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.^[14]

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

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.^[15]

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.^[16]

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).^[17]

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.^[18]

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.^[19]

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

2023: Low alcohol drinks production growth by 17.7% to 22.3 million decalitres

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."^[20]

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.^[21]

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.^[22]

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.^[23]

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.^[24]

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.^[25]

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.^[26]

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 Group-IB 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.^[27]

Alcohol poisoning

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."^[28]

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

History

2023

Over 5 years, the number of alcohol points of sale in Russia has grown 1.7 times

By the end of 2023, approximately 239.6 thousand points of sale of alcohol were operating in Russia. For comparison, in 2019 their number was about 137 thousand. Thus, over five years, the number of such points has increased 1.7 times, as reported on April 16, 2024 by the Federal Service for the Control of Alcohol and Tobacco Markets (Rosalkogoltabakkontrol).

It is noted that during 2023 the number of points of sale of alcohol increased by 36 thousand compared to the previous year. Of these, almost 25 thousand fell on retail stores and 11 more than thousand - on catering, selling alcohol. Retail sales of alcohol in Russia in 2023 rose by 2.8% compared to 2022, amounting to almost 1.02 billion decaliters. Rosalkogoltabakkontrol believes that this happened primarily due to the "whitewashing" of the market and a reduction in the share of counterfeit products.

By the end of 2023, approximately 239.6 thousand points of sale of alcohol were operating in Russia

At the same time, the number of bars and alcohol stores is growing in Russia. According to estimates, in January 2023 in the Russian Federation there were 10,148 bars, while in August of the same year their number reached 10,626, which corresponds to an increase of 4.7%. The number of alcohol stores during the same period increased from 15,967 to 16,511 outlets - plus 3.4%.

According to the head of Rosalkogoltabakkontrol Igor Aleshin, the amount of excise taxes received for ethyl alcohol, alcoholic and alcohol-containing products from 2018 to 2023 increased by 114 billion rubles - from 358.6 billion in 2018 to more than 472 billion rubles in 2023. The amount of excise taxes on strong alcohol received additionally exceeded 165 billion rubles.

At the same time, Aleshin said that a number of problematic issues remain in the industry, for the solution of which a whole range of initiatives is proposed. The need to strengthen control over the production and circulation of alcohol-containing products in the form of perfume and cosmetic products, which are a surrogate of alcohol, was noted; the introduction of a register of brewery retailers; continue to work to reduce the administrative burden on business, etc.^[29]

3.9% reduction in alcohol production to 191.7 million decalitres

The production of alcoholic beverages (excluding beer, beer drinks, cider, poiret and mead) in Russia in 2023 decreased by 3.9% compared to 2022 - to 191.7 million decaliters (dal). This is evidenced by the data of Rosalkogoltabakkontrol, published in January 2024.

According to Interfax, citing materials from the department, in comparison with 2021, alcohol production in the Russian Federation in 2023 increased. Rosalkogoltabakkontrol explains that the comparison with 2021 is given because the market, after "multidirectional trends in 2022, is stabilizing and returning to the proportions that were observed in 2021." We are talking, in particular, about reducing exports in 2022, redirecting volumes to the domestic market, import substitution. The impact of external factors on the industry was very strong, so the comparison of the indicators of 2023 with the indicators of 2022 in Rosalkogoltabakkontrol is considered not entirely correct.

Production of alcoholic beverages at the end of 2023 decreased by 3.9%

According to Rosalkogoltabakkontrol estimates, in 2023, the production of alcoholic beverages with a strength above 9% decreased by 3% compared to the previous year - to 111.9 million decaliters. The production of grape wine decreased by 8.3%, to 29.99 million decaliters, sparkling wines - by 12.7%, to 14.1 million decaliters, liquor wines - by 19.8%, to 876.9 thousand decaliters. The production of grape-containing drinks without ethyl alcohol decreased by 87.1%, to 566.6 thousand decaliters, with ethyl alcohol - by 53%, to 37.2 thousand decaliters. Fruit production increased by 10.3% to 11.8 million decaliters.

The production of alcoholic beverages with a strength of up to 25% decreased by 96.1%, to 26 thousand decaliters. At the same time, the production of alcoholic beverages with a strength of over 25% increased - by 1.3%, to 14 million decaliters. The production of other alcoholic beverages increased by 8.5%, to 8.6 million decaliters, low-alcohol products - by 17.7%, to 22.3 million decaliters.^[30]

Sales growth of 4.1% to 229.5 million decalitres

In 2023, 229.5 million decalitres (dal) of alcoholic beverages (excluding beer, beer drinks, cider, poiret and mead) were sold in Russia, which is 4.1% more than a year earlier. The market size turned out to be a record for the entire time of observations. This is evidenced by the data released in January 2024 by the Federal Service for the Control of Alcohol and Tobacco Markets (Rosalkogoltabakkontrol).

The market size turned out to be a record for the entire time of observations. The department stressed that it was legal sales of alcohol that increased, while its consumption remains unchanged.

At the same time, the share of the illegal market is decreasing. Evidence of this is the increase in excise tax revenues to the budget. Plus, the consumption structure is gradually changing in favor of wine and brewing products, - the press service of Rosalkogoltabakkontrol told Komsomolskaya Pravda.

According to the President of the Union of Alcoholic Beverages Producers Igor Kosarev, sales of cognac and whiskey in 2023 grew against the background of the development of domestic production of these products after the departure of some foreign brands. There was also a trend towards cheaper cognac and whiskey, as a result of which part of the demand moved from vodka to these drinks, Kosarev noted.

Vadim Drobiz, head of the Center for Research on Federal and Regional Alcohol Markets, linked the growth in alcohol sales in Russia to the "psychological crisis" and "middle-class settlement" - people began to relax less often abroad and travel more often in Russia. It is these people who mainly consume cognac, whiskey, wine, which are growing in terms of sales, the expert believes. He added that alcohol sales are growing mainly in stores, cafes and restaurants account for only 4% of alcohol.^[31]

2022: Alcohol production up 2.24% to 1.01 billion dal

The production of alcoholic beverages of all types in Russia in 2022 increased by 2.24% compared to 2021 and amounted to 1.01 billion decalitres, follows from the data of the Rosalkogolregulirovanie (RAR), which became known on February 21, 2023.

As RBC writes with reference to the statistics of the RAR, about 199.5 million decaliters of production accounted for strong alcohol, wine products and low-alcohol drinks. The bulk of the output was occupied by beer, cider, poiret and mead (811.8 million dal).

According to RAR estimates, retail sales of alcohol, including beer, in 2022 increased by about 1% - to 1 billion decaliters. The department indicated that the growth of legal retail sales and production volumes is associated with the process of "whitewashing" the market, reducing the share of illegal products and abandoning consumers.

In 2022, overproduction of all types of alcoholic beverages, especially strong drinks, was observed, says Vadim Drobiz, director of the Center for Research on Federal and Regional Alcohol Markets (CIFRRA).

Each manufacturer hoped that the imports would "disappear," and it was necessary to have time to fill the market with their products, but already in the fourth quarter of 2022, a decrease in production could be observed in some sectors - companies harmonized production with market requests, the expert explained to the publication.

According to him, the production of Russian rum, whiskey and gin increased due to the substitution of imports, but a significant increase in their consumption was not observed. According to Drobiz, in 2023, alcohol production in Russia will be stable, and imports will continue to recover.

Vadim Drobiz added that in 2022, alcohol consumption demonstrated trends usual for crisis times: purchases of strong alcohol grew, and sales of wine products, on the contrary, decreased.^[32]

1991

1988

1983

1973

Notes