Volume 18, Issue 1, 2026
Authors: Lyudmila Klimenko, Daria Krivosheeva-Medyantseva
ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION PATTERNS IN MODERN RUSSIA: AN ANALYSIS OF REGIONAL DIFFERENCES
In the last 20 years, there has been a change in drinking habits in Russia, characterized by a decrease in the amount and potency of alcohol being consumed. This article aims to identify regional distinctive features in alcohol consumption patterns in Russia. The study uses panel data from RLMS-HSE annual surveys based on a representative sample of the population for 2014, 2018, and 2022, and Russian official statistics on alcohol purchases and consumption. The research results confirm that the northern style of alcohol consumption persists in the Ural, Siberia, and the Far East regions of Russia. A shift towards a mixed drinking pattern is apparent in most of the country, particularly noticeable in Moscow, Central Russia, and the Northwestern federal district. Southern wine-producing regions do not demonstrate a transition to the "southern" wine-oriented model of alcohol consumption, exhibiting relatively low levels of alcohol consumption per capita. Overall, beer remains the dominant and most popular alcoholic beverage in all regions of Russia. This study contributes to understanding regional differences, as well as economic and institutional factors that influence alcohol consumption. The territorial characteristics of alcohol intake highlighted in the article help outline potential strategies for regulating alcohol policy in Russia.
https://doi.org/10.37043/JURA.2026.18.1.3