The economist explained the reasons for the massive bankruptcy among zoomers

In Russia, the share of bankruptcies among citizens under the age of 25 has increased dramatically: in two years, the figure has increased from 1.5% to 14%. Ahmed Yusupov, an economist and partner at the Goldman Energy communications agency, explained this trend to Izvestia on March 26 by a combination of two factors.

"The first is simplification of the procedure. Since 2020, citizens with debts of up to one million rubles can apply through the MFC for free, and more recently through Gosuslugi. The second is the behavioral factor: "zoomers" often take out microloans without a clear repayment plan and consider bankruptcy as a legal way to "reset" without perceiving it as a financial disaster," the expert explained.

According to the Intel Collection collection agency, the share of borrowers under the age of 25 among all bankrupts increased from 3% in early 2023 to 15% by the end of 2025. The age group of 25-29 years with a share of 21% displaced the previously leading borrowers aged 35-39 years. At the same time, as Yusupov notes, many young people do not learn the lesson: aggressive advertising by law firms has created the impression that bankruptcy proceedings are a simple service without serious consequences. Meanwhile, a record of bankruptcy remains in the credit history for five years, restricts access to senior positions and makes it difficult to obtain a mortgage.

The economist noted that at the macro level, the situation is still manageable: the debts of young borrowers are small — most often up to 300-500 thousand rubles, and mainly from microfinance organizations rather than systemically important banks. The real danger is a structural weakening of consumer demand among young people with a damaged credit history, which may affect the mortgage and car loan markets. If the current dynamics continue, the effect will become noticeable by 2027-2028, when today's 20-year-old bankrupts will begin to apply for their first mortgage.

"Educational work on financial literacy should begin before the first loan in order to prevent the growth of young bankrupts and reduce the long—term consequences for the market and the family budget," Yusupov concluded.

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A study by YUMOPEU on January 25 showed that modern Russian students are increasingly striving for financial independence and no longer consider their parents as their main source of income. It is clarified that only 11% of respondents rely on adult help, while 34% have full-time jobs, and 11% combine their studies with part-time work. Also, 14% earn money from blogs and creative activities. At the same time, the scholarship remains the main income for only 4% of students, and 16% live at the expense of a partner.

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