In Moscow, spending on alcohol and tobacco has decreased by more than a third – Kommersant

Russians’ spending on alcohol and tobacco products in the first half of 2023 increased by 1.5% in nominal terms, but decreased if we take into account price increases of 3.9% and 10.6%, respectively. Residents of Tatarstan and Dagestan reduced spending on bad habits by a third; in Moscow the figure fell by 37.2%. In the Smolensk, Novosibirsk and Tyumen regions, consumption increased by no less than 1.5 times.

The study, based on information from Rosstat, was conducted by the analytical service of the auditing and consulting network FinExpertiza. The results are TASS.

Expenses on alcohol and cigarettes amounted to an average of 2,050 rubles. per month for a family of three. As experts note, if we take inflation into account, “then we can state that, in general, harmful consumption by Russians has decreased.” The share of such expenses in the total consumption structure decreased from 3.1% to 2.9%.

Residents of which regions spend the most on alcohol and tobacco products (per month for a family of three):

• Kamchatka Territory – 6130 rubles;
• Nenets Autonomous Okrug – 4,750 rubles;
• Chukotka Autonomous Okrug – 4550 rubles;
• Murmansk region – 4370 rubles;
• Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug – 4170 rubles;
• Jewish Autonomous Region – 3580 rubles;
• Tver region – 3280 rubles;
• Novosibirsk region – 3200 rubles;
• Magadan region – 3170 rubles;
• Moscow — 2980 rub.

FinExpertiza President Elena Trubnikova noted that in 2022, Russians cut spending on hobbies, recreation and attending sports and cultural events, “while maintaining spending on harmful consumption.” In 2023, the opposite dynamics are observed. Thus, in the first half of the year, spending on sports and cultural events, recreation and hobbies increased by 29.91% (RUB 2,310 for a family of three). The share of expenses rose to 3.3%, which is 0.2 percentage points less than the pre-Covid figure. FinExpertiza also draws attention to the fact that neither in 2022 nor in 2023 did Russians reduce spending on catering and the delivery of ready-made food. In the first half of 2021, its share in expenses was 2.4%, in the same period of 2022 – 2.6%, in 2023 – 2.7%. However, experts suggest that now “the consumer boom, fueled by rising incomes, may have reached its peak.”

According to NielsenIQ, for the first time in seven years, alcoholic beverages have lost their lead in physical sales dynamics among consumer goods. According to the national retail audit, from January to September 2023, food took first place in terms of growth with 3.8% year-on-year, and alcohol dropped to second place with an increase of 3.3%.

Read more about the NielsenIQ study in the Kommersant article. “The snack stole the mood”.

Leonid Uvarchev