The Russian public loves vodka, but sadly production of it has dwindled dramatically, while enemy countries have overtaken Putin in exports of the strong colourless booze

Russians are in meltdown after reports of vodka supplies dwindling. For as long as man has drunk alcohol, Russians have drunk most of the world’s supply of vodka.

However, alcohol production in Russia has shrunk dramatically, with vodka taking the biggest hit since Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.

According to Russian news site 78.ru, Russian alcohol production in 2024 dropped 26.6% compared to the year prior, with vodka dropping more than most. It wasn’t all bad news though, as production of still and sparkling wine rose to 11.5% and 15.6% respectively.

It was also revealed that booze with an alcohol proof over 9% dropped by 20.7% while vodka production dropped by a whopping 22.7%. The only alcohol to drop more was cognac, which saw a 25% drop in production – although low-alcohol drinks dropped by a whopping 94.4%.

The news comes just a few weeks after Poland overtook Russia when it comes to exporting vodka in Europe.

Bartłomiej Morzycki, general director of the Association of Employers of the Brewing Industry in Poland said: “In most EU countries, we are observing a decrease in beer consumption, e.g. according to the recently published data in Germany, we can see a significant decrease, while Germany is one of the main recipients of beer from Poland.”

The Russia vodka crisis is in start contrast to sales last year, which saw from January to October levels reach a record 184.2 million decalitres, according to data released by the industry regulator, marking the highest volume since records began in 2017.

Russians’ fondness for vodka, a term that affectionately translates to ‘little water’, remains strong, with the national drink topping the market with 62.5 million decalitres sold.

Research agency To Be Exact claims Russians are now consuming the equivalent of eight litres of pure alcohol per person each year.

This surge in consumption, of course, has accompanied an increase in alcohol dependency rates, as reported by Moscow officials, marking the first such rise in a decade.

From 2010 to 2021, first-time diagnoses of alcohol use disorder fell from 153,900 to 53,300. However, in 2022, this figure began to climb again, with doctors issuing 54,200 diagnoses.

Russia’s health ministry has attributed this trend to the Covid-19 pandemic, where people stuck inside due to lockdown restrictions had nothing better to do than to drink. However, this explanation fails to consider an obvious unanswered question about war and the increasing totalitarianism within Russian life.

“Social and economic upheavals, increased geopolitical confrontations and sanctions have somewhat slowed” progress in reducing excessive alcohol consumption, Ruslan Isayev, who heads a Moscow-based addiction clinic, told Kommersant.

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