At the end of 2025, the financial volume of the Russian retail pharmaceutical market grew by 13.3%, reaching 1.83 trillion rubles. Meanwhile, sales in physical terms decreased by 1.1% to 4.7 billion packages, as reported by TASS citing the Center for Research in Perspective Technologies (CRPT, track and trace system operator). The market is showing structural changes: financial growth is primarily driven by inflation and drug price increases, while pharmacy chains are actively consolidating, and the assortment is growing through generics rather than innovative molecules.
Volume Estimates and Retail Consolidation
The market growth in rubles (against the backdrop of inflation of about 9-10% in 2025) is accompanied by a decline in package sales. There are alternative estimates: according to specialized analytical agencies (particularly RNC Pharma), the market volume is estimated slightly higher — at 1.89 trillion rubles (+15.8%), and the volume in physical terms might be 4.93 billion packages (+1.8%).
Amid macroeconomic changes, the retail segment is undergoing active transformation. In 2025, the number of pharmacies grew by 4.3% and reached 82.3 thousand locations. However, the number of legal entities decreased by 7.9% — to 11.6 thousand. The share of federal pharmacy chains increased from 40% to 50% over two years. The assortment structure shows that chains dominate in all formats except the smallest — pharmacies with an assortment of up to 500 items. Here, independent locations remain strong, including those at hospitals.
Shortage of Absolute Innovations
The assortment of drugs on the market expanded to 14,785 items. Over the year, 1,286 new drugs appeared, 831 items left the market, and 55 returned after a break. However, out of all the new products, only 50 (less than 4%) accounted for 80% of all sales of new items. The rest did not have a significant impact on revenue.
“The labeling system data allowed us to see not only the overall sales volumes but also deep underlying processes: the consolidation of pharmacy retail, product lifecycles, and regional dynamics. Meanwhile, 94% of the new products in the assortment are variations of existing drugs with new dosages, release forms, or combinations of known active substances. Only 6% represent truly new molecules. At the same time, variations bring in 74% of the revenue from all new products, while absolute innovations account for only 26%. The market is being updated at the expense of variations.”
— CRPT Press Service (Track and Trace System Operator)
Russia in the Global Context
On a global scale, the retail pharma market is estimated at approximately 1.8–2 trillion USD. According to 2024–2025 data, the Russian retail market (about 18–19 billion USD) ranks 14th in the world by volume among major economies.
Although Russia lags behind North American, European, and Asian countries in absolute terms, the domestic market is growing faster than most developed countries (+13.3%) due to inflationary processes and chain consolidation. For comparison, the markets of Canada, South Korea, and Japan are growing at 3-4%. At the same time, the per capita spending on medications in the Russian Federation remains at the level of developing economies — about 125 USD per year, ahead of Mexico (~75 USD) and India (~20 USD), but significantly behind the leaders.
| Country | Retail Volume (bln USD) | Growth (%) | Per Capita (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA | 610–671 | +4–5 | ~1800–2000 |
| China | ~150–200 | +8–9 | ~100–140 |
| Germany | ~100–105 | +4.5 | ~1150–1250 |
| Japan | ~60–70 | +3–4 | ~500 |
| France | ~45–50 | +4 | ~650 |
| Canada | 39.8 | +3.1 | ~1000 |
| Australia | 38.6 | +5.0–5.7 | ~1430 |
| UK | ~35–40 | +5 | ~550 |
| Italy | 25–30 | +4.7–6.4 | ~500 |
| India | ~25–30 | +10–12 | ~20 |
| Brazil | ~20–25 | +7–8 | ~100 |
| South Korea | 20.1 | +3.8 | ~390 |
| Spain | 20 | +5.9 | ~420 |
| Russia | 18–19 (1.83 trln RUB) | +13.3 | ~125 |
| Mexico | ~9.6 | +6.5 | ~75 |
* Note: The table is compiled based on open media sources and international analytical reports for 2024–2025.
