Condoms (Russian market)

2022

3.8% increase in condom production to 35.5 million units

The volume of condom production Russia in 2022 amounted to 35.5 million units, an increase of 3.8% compared to 2021. Such data, citing statistics Rosstat in early December 2023, were cited by AnalyticResearchGroup analysts.

According to them, the condom market in Russia is heavily dependent on imports. From the materials of the Ministry of Industry and Trade for 2022, it follows that only a seventh of the condoms consumed are produced in Russia. On average, domestic production in Russia is 100 million units per year, up to 600 million units are imported.

In 2022, the British company Reckitt, which produces condoms under the Durex and Contex brands and owned about 60% of the Russian market, announced its departure from Russia. The curtailment of Reckitt's business in the Russian Federation sharply increased the rush growth in demand for condoms in the country. So, in the spring of 2022, sales of drugs and various medical devices, including condoms, sharply increased, so information about the departure of a large manufacturer further spurred sales. However, Reckitt later announced that it did not plan to wind down or transfer Russian business to anyone.

Experts believe that import problems have not had a noticeable impact on domestic condom production in Russia.

The analytical company TK Solutions estimated the volume of condom production in Russia at 35.5 million units in 2022. The leading federal district of the Russian Federation for the production of condoms is the Southern Federal District (94.9% of production for the period from 2017 to 2022), in second place is the Central Federal District (5.1% of production). The following companies were named the largest condom producers in Russia in 2022:

• LLC "Polyplastic Group"
• Vek Rus LLC
• LLC "Pro Aqua"
• Tekhstroy LLC
• Hemkor JSC
• LLC "Ikaplast^[1]%

Demand for condoms in Russia has fallen by 16% since the beginning of the year

Condom sales in Russian pharmacy chains in January-July 2022 decreased in physical terms by 16.4% compared to the same period in 2021 to 11.9 million packages. The analytical company DSM Group calculated in retail chains (data published on September 1, 2022)

The fall was in every month with the exception of March - then there was a rush of demand in the pharmaceutical market. For condoms, the DSM Group notes, the March growth was only 4%, and the decline in April was 30% compared to 2021.

Demand for condoms in Russia fell by 16%

DSM Group analysts call the reorientation of consumers to other sales channels as the reason for the decline in sales. The Moneyplace service calculated that in January-July 2022, Russians purchased 3.4 times more condoms on the largest Internet sites - Wildberries and Ozon - than in 2021. However, this does not compensate for the drop in pharmacy sales and does not change the downward trend in the popularity of contraceptives in Russia.

At the same time, instead of condoms, Russians began to buy alternative contraception more often. So, despite the fall in the last three years, the demand for hormonal oral contraceptives in pharmacies increased in annual terms by 11%, to 12 million packages. Also, sales of vaginal rings, suppositories, intrauterine therapeutic systems and other similar products increased by 8.5%.

According to Dmitry Gusev, head of the outpatient gynecology department of the hospital on Michurinsky Prospekt of the Fomin Clinic network, sales of alternative contraception will continue to grow - compared to condoms, they are economically more profitable

Demand fell hardest on expensive condoms. In the cheap segment, sales even increased, says Mikhail Terekhin, deputy general director of the Soviet Pharmacies chain. This could also be influenced by the seasonal factor, as a rule, in the summer Russians buy contraception less often.^[2]

2021: Sales drop by 7.2% in pieces and 6.3% in rubles

In 2021, 7.2% fewer condoms were sold in Russia than a year earlier. Revenue from their sale also decreased - by 6.3%, according to data from the analytical company DSM Group, published in January 2022.

A representative of one of the Russian pharmacy chains, in a conversation with the portal, News.ru noted that, first of all, demand fell on expensive contraception.

The assortment includes condoms of different price niches - both budget and quite expensive. The latter are acquired less and less, so we even began to buy them less, there is no particular point, "the source said.

According to him, if before the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, condoms "scattered like hot pies," today the situation has changed - "people began to save even on such things." Experts believe the drop in demand is driven by the ever-increasing cost of condoms. In 2021, the average price of one package of contraceptives was 288 rubles.

Sociologist Sergei Talanov urged not to associate the reduction in condom sales with the loss of interest in sex. He suggested that the trend is associated with a deteriorating financial situation of citizens. Against the backdrop of the pandemic, many Russians either lost their jobs or began to earn much less.

The head of the department of the Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vadim Pokrovsky, in an interview with News.ru, suggested that the economic factor is one of the most important.

Even 50 rubles per condom is very expensive for low-income citizens, especially for young people. A person will still think about what to buy - a couple of bottles of beer or a pack of condoms, - the expert explained.

Vice-President of the Independent Psychiatric Association of Russia, sexologist Alexei Perekhov admitted that Russians began to use protective equipment less often.^[3]

2012:33 million packages imported

In 2012, the volume of condom imports to Russia in terms of value increased by 37%, reaching 0.06 million. In physical terms, 33 million packages of condoms were imported into Russia in 2012 (this includes 3 pieces, 12 pieces, 10 pieces, etc.), which is 31% less than in the previous 2011. If the growth rate remains the same in 2013, it will be possible to testify that the volume of supplies is decreasing, and the price of condoms is increasing. However, this may also indicate that branded products (Durex, Life Styles, Contex, Vizit, Sico, Reflex, Masculan) displace cheap products on the market, the supply volume of which is large, but the cost is much less than the same Contex, Durex, Vizit, etc.

Almost all world production is carried out in places close to the sources of material for condoms (latex) - in Southeast Asia. The largest producing countries are Thailand, India, Republic of Korea, China. In Thailand, condoms of brands such as Durex, LifeStyles, Contex, King are made, in India - Durex and LifeStyles, in Korea - Contex.

In the structure of imports of condoms in physical terms, the first largest import in 2012 was the Erotica Deluxe brand (31%). In 2012, the share of condoms produced under this brand in the total import of condoms amounted to 31%. In second place is Contex brand products. The share of contraceptives imported into Russia in 2012 was 16%. In third place is Shanghai Biomed Industrial (14%), it owns a number of brands whose product range is not highly valuable.

In the import structure, 42% of the volume is accounted for by condoms supplied by Durex in value terms. If you do not take into account its products in the import structure, then the largest share in value terms will be occupied by products of the Contex (30%), Luxe (8%), Viva (6%) brands.

In Russia, two enterprises are engaged in the production of condoms - the Armavir Rubber Products Plant ('AZRI') and the Serpukhov Elastomer Plant. The St. Petersburg company "Safe Sex" and the company "Bolear Medica" are engaged in distribution, however, their scope of activity includes part of production: receiving untested condoms, they test and package them. For the production of condoms in value terms, domestic producers reached an indicator of, 39 million in 2012.

2011

The volume of the condom market in Russia in value terms amounted to 7.3 million in 2011, and in 2012 the market increased by 47% to 5.2 million (data from DISCOVERY Research Group).

1955: Condoms in the USSR