May 24, 2026

A Sobering Trend


A Sobering Trend
Vodka no longer. The Russian Life files

Russian state media reports that alcohol consumption in the country has decreased 24% since over the past decade. For a country notorious for its drinking culture, that's significant.

According to the report, in 2016, Russians averaged 10.6 liters of pure ethyl alcohol per person per year. Today, that average is down to 8.06 liters, a 24% drop.

The driest regions include the North Caucasus, which is Muslim-majority, central-Asian Tuva, and Moscow, which reportedly prefers softer drinks like beer and wine to the traditional harder stuff (vodka). The hardest drinkers can be found in the far northern, oil-based Nenets Autonomous Okrug, where, on average, people drink 18.2 liters of pure alcohol each year, more than double the national average.

Still, it appears that Russians are declining in their taste for booze over all, a trend reinforced by findings that reports of alcoholism are down, thanks to advertising about the harmful health effects of alcohol, which has led to a decrease in sales across the board.

This is in line with global trends, which reflect a worldwide decrease in alcohol consumption, due to the high costs, successful health initiatives, and alternatives like legalized drugs. In Russia's case, though, there seem to be more reasons to drink these days.

 

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