Russians are considered to be one of the heaviest drinkers in the world. But 2018 survey showed that more than one-third of Russian citizens don’t drink at all. The longitude monitoring study shows how alcohol consumption changed over the years.
Russians drink less than before
A culture of drinking in Russia has significantly changed over the past few years, as monitored by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Centre. A recent survey by WCIOM on the habits of alcohol consumption in Russia showed locals tend to drink less in 2018 than before.
It was surprising to find out that 40% of respondents gave up drinking – even if they used to drink only on special occasions. 57% of young Russians aged from 18 to 24 adhere to such a position.
9 years ago, the amount of people who chose this option was only 26%. Slightly more than a half of Russian people drink from time to time (58%), the majority of them prefers drinking a couple of times a month.
40% of consumers state they drink much less than they used to several years ago. Luckily, few Russians said they increased an alcohol consumption in the recent past (3%). 55% of respondents haven’t noticed any changes in their culture of drinking.
Consumption of alcohol in Russia
14% of respondents like drinking alcohol a few times a month. This number is larger in Russians aged 25-34 (19%). Generally, it’s men who drink more – 23% of male counterparts and 7% of women say they usually drink 2-3 times a month.
What is more, there was a significant decrease in the number of people who believe that all types of alcohol drinks are harmful – 55% (in 2017, 80% of respondents shared this pion of view). 39% of Russian citizens suppose there are certain doses of alcohol that won’t do any harm. Surprisingly, three years ago, only 15% of Russians supported that statement.
The most harmless alcohol drink is wine, according to 51% of respondents. The number of proponents of this view is larger among people with a university degree – 61%. Beer and vodka were ranked second in a list of safe drinks (14% each). Such drinks as moonshine and homemade wine were considered harmless only by 8% of Russians. It is interesting to note that people who only completed school often pointed out that cider, whiskey, and mead (a drink made of alcohol, honey, and herbs) were completely safe to human health.
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I have always had the impression that French drink more than Russians. They want to take their “apéritif” every time, even when they are alone at home. All my French friends drink wine while eating, something never seen in Russia, where people drink usually only during the birthday parties and some holidays with a big family or friendly meeting. In France I know many women who drink wine every evening. And also the only collegue drunkard I had was a Frenchman.