Dry season: alcohol consumption in Russia has dropped to its lowest level since 1999
Alcohol consumption in Russia has fallen to its lowest level since 1999. It decreased to 7.84 liters per year per capita in September. A steady decline has been observed since March of this year. In recent years, Russians have been increasingly interested in a healthy lifestyle, sobriety, liver care, and mental health, experts say. Today, citizens do not need as much alcohol as they used to consume. Why the population took a course towards sobriety is in the Izvestia article.
Positive dynamics
Alcohol consumption in Russia decreased to 7.84 liters per year per capita in September. The last time the volume of alcohol consumed approached this indicator was in 1999. This is evidenced by data from the Unified Interdepartmental Information and Statistical System (EMISS), RIA Novosti writes.
At the same time, a month earlier, the indicator was at the level of 7.93 liters. And in March, alcohol consumption was 8.41 liters. From that moment on, it steadily decreased: 8.32 liters in April, 8.22 liters in May, 8.12 liters in June, and 8.01 liters in July. Since August, the indicator has dropped below 8 liters.
In general, when averaging the figures for the first nine months of 2025, alcohol consumption among Russian citizens amounted to 8.18 liters.
Alcohol is consumed the least in the North Caucasus. The lowest rate was recorded in Chechnya — 0.13 liters. Ingushetia is next, with a mark of 0.62 liters. The third place is occupied by Dagestan, where consumption is recorded at 0.89 liters per person. Kabardino-Balkaria (2.25 liters) and Karachay-Cherkessia (2.63 liters) complete the top 5.
Meanwhile, high rates were recorded in the Sverdlovsk region, where 10.49 liters were drunk in September. In the Novosibirsk region, consumption was at the level of 8.83 liters. In Tatarstan — 8.5 liters.
Each resident of Moscow drank an average of 4.91 liters. In St. Petersburg, this figure was 6.55 liters.
The editorial board of Izvestia sent a request to the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. No response has been received at the time of publication.
The health trend
The EMISS data refers to statistical indicators of alcohol consumption in terms of anhydrous alcohol, explains Alexander Stavtsev, head of the WineRetail information center. Such measurements are being made in order to study how programs related to national health and demography are progressing.
It is important to note that alcohol sales statistics have changed significantly compared to 1999, says Vladimir Kosenko, Head of Development of the premium wine portfolio at Luding Group.
— In the 90s, huge volumes of low-alcohol beverages were not included in official statistics. Therefore, compared to the 90s, Russians consume alcohol twice less," he believes.
Today, strong alcohol is partially replaced by some types of low-alcohol drinks and beer, Stavtsev confirms.
However, now it is difficult to compare statistics with the 90s also because there was a very large gray alcohol market back then, recalls Andrey Ivanov, a narcologist and head of a private drug treatment center.
— There were stalls selling alcohol and "left-wing" vodka of famous brands. In general, there was a lot of unaccounted-for alcohol. Since then, people's financial security has increased significantly, which allows them to spend their leisure time soberly," the expert believes.
There are several aspects that explain the decrease in alcohol consumption recorded in the presented statistics, adds Stavtsev. The first of them is generational.
— Young people today are already reaching the age when they can drink alcohol, but they don't really want to drink. Zoomers have different consumer attitudes," explains Izvestia's source.
In the last few years, the "trend towards mindfulness" has gained popularity: the population's interest in a healthy lifestyle, sobriety, and mental health care is growing, says Maria Nichegovskaya, a family nutritionist and member of the Association of Nutritionists and Health Coaches.
— Russians do not want to wake up in the morning "with a sore head" and miss a workout because of it. Interestingly, this is especially noticeable among young people," she points out.
And in general, today citizens do not need as much alcohol as they used to consume, Kosenko is sure.
— Basically, you and I have a sufficient number of options to realize our ambitions, and large portions of alcohol only hinder their achievement. Therefore, ambitious Russians are switching to small portions, reducing their per capita consumption, the expert says.
The "alcohol for alcohol's sake" consumption pattern is gradually becoming less relevant — meetings with the aim of drinking as much as possible are held less and less frequently, he emphasizes.
At the same time, it should be borne in mind that the decrease in consumption is uneven across groups, draws the attention of Oleg Pavlov, Chairman of the Public Council at Rospotrebnadzor, head of the public organization Public Consumer Initiative. Young people, urbanites and the more affluent strata are reducing consumption faster, while some of the older generation and socially vulnerable groups retain their old habits.
The consistent policy of relevant departments, primarily Rospotrebnadzor, to promote the principles of healthy nutrition and a healthy lifestyle is one of the main reasons for the steady reduction in consumption, the Izvestia interlocutor is convinced. Among other significant factors, he identifies the following:
— systematic introduction of systemic accessibility restrictions: federal and regional bans and restrictions on time and places of sale, "days of sobriety", increased control;
— partial replacement of consumption: part of the demand goes to non-alcoholic alternatives (non-alcoholic beer, non-alcoholic wines), including when shopping online;
— reduction of the shadow segment after the introduction of the labeling system: the share of illegal alcohol is decreasing, which, together with control and prevention measures, is dragging down the overall consumption level.
Another factor that affects the fixed volume is the excise policy, the increase in tariffs and minimum retail prices, which leads to an increase in the cost of spirits, including vodka and cognac, Stavtsev said. It is important to understand that the statistics provided are only about legal sales.
— The statistics do not take into account either moonshine or illegal alcohol. This problem arises when the cost of alcohol in legal retail starts to rise. Then some consumers who don't have much money are tempted to drink something cheaper," the expert points out.
This aspect should also be taken into account when compiling official statistics, so that the recorded decline does not turn into risks to the safety of life and health of citizens, he argues.
However, there is another negative factor affecting statistics, warns Ivanov. It lies in the fact that modern youth mostly use illegal substances rather than alcohol. Alcohol, especially strong alcohol, becomes uninteresting to young people as a result.
Everyone drinks differently.
At the same time, due to cultural, religious, historical and climatic factors, alcohol consumption in different regions of Russia is heterogeneous, Alexander Stavtsev points out.
— In the North Caucasus, people traditionally drink less, while in the north they drink more. Meanwhile, in Moscow, St. Petersburg and the south, for example, they prefer to drink wine, which also changes the structure of consumption," he explains.
In the regions of the North Caucasus, the local population does not drink alcohol for religious reasons, says Andrey Ivanov. The main sales are conducted at the expense of tourists, who then return, for example, to Central Russia and continue to use.
— In the northern regions, alcohol consumption is traditionally higher due to the belief that strong alcohol should be drunk in the cold. Therefore, according to statistics, the Novosibirsk and Sverdlovsk regions are the leaders," the narcologist notes.
In different regions, people drink differently due to certain peculiarities of life, confirms Vladimir Kosenko.
— Moscow is very businesslike, so anything that hinders a career is under serious control. St. Petersburg, with its weather fluctuations and a glass of strong alcohol, is supposedly easier for a person to carry, so it is slightly ahead of the big capital in terms of per capita volume," the expert explains.
Heterogeneous consumption in the regions is determined by local specifics, Oleg Pavlov agrees. The important factors that influenced this include:
— Socio-economic differences: unemployment, income, quality of life, access to leisure alternatives;
— urban infrastructure and lifestyle — in the largest agglomerations (Moscow, St. Petersburg, etc.), the incidence is lower and the prevalence of sober practices is higher.
With the preservation of the ritual
It is worth noting that in Russia today there is a trend towards the consumption of non-alcoholic wine and beer. And first of all, it is associated with the removal of additional responsibility imposed by alcohol, believes Vladimir Kosenko.
— If there is an opportunity to get a familiar and pleasant aroma and taste and at the same time not think about whether it is possible to get behind the wheel. A person who lives a full life realizes this opportunity, the expert is sure.
This trend can also be regarded as following a healthy lifestyle, adds Maria Nichegovskaya.
— People want the taste, the ritual, the social component of the drink, but without the negative effects of alcohol. Soft drinks (especially beer) contain fewer calories and do not cause intoxication, which makes them attractive to those who follow their health, explains the nutritionist.
In addition, the quality of non-alcoholic products is also growing, Oleg Pavlov clarifies. Technological progress in de-alcoholization has improved the taste and aroma: the supply of sparkling and still wines without alcohol is increasing, and the range of non-alcoholic beers is expanding.
— The absence of strict restrictions on promotion and sale also affects, which lead to active advertising campaigns, expansion of the assortment, and an increase in the share of online purchases, — the Izvestia interlocutor is convinced.
Nothing terrible will happen to the alcohol market, however, due to a decrease in consumption. It will lead to better consumption — the price of liters consumed will start to rise due to the better quality of drinks, Kosenko predicts.
Whitewash the market
At the same time, when analyzing statistics, it is worth taking into account the increase in legal retail sales. According to Rosalokoltabakkontrol, by the end of 2024, they were set at 6.8 liters in ethanol equivalent per capita. At the same time, in 2023 the indicator was 6.5 liters. And in 2022 - 6.4 liters.
The explanation for this trend in legal retail, according to the agency, is very simple: consumers are gradually abandoning the purchase of dangerous alcohol at illegal points of sale.
— There is a whitewashing of the market, an illustration of which we see on the portal of state statistics. In order to achieve a significant reduction in the illegal market, it took a long time, which has been carried out by the state over the past 15 years," the press service of Rosalokoltakcontrol emphasizes.
The service notes that legally licensed retail is a tool for objective statistical accounting of the amount of alcohol sold, which also makes it possible to identify organizations that operate outside the legal framework.
— We are suppressing the activities of such entrepreneurs, thereby reducing the share of illegal products on the market. At the same time, now, as part of the fight against alcoholism of the population, restrictions are being imposed on the operation of legal stores operating in the legal field, the department notes.
Such restrictions, involving the closure of licensed outlets, lead to the emergence of alternative distribution channels and an increase in the share of illegal products. This will statistically contribute to a decrease in the volume of legal sales, but it will not affect real consumption in any way.
— We will simply stop seeing the market situation. We believe that the short-term populist effect has nothing to do with solving strategic tasks to reduce alcohol consumption. When we talk about the need to reduce consumption, we need to offer a real alternative to drunkenness — it can be sports, culture, health, but not the fight against legal retail," Rosalokoltabakcontrol summarizes.
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