Russia’s northern regions, including Sakhalin, Magadan, Komi Republic, Chukotka and Karelia, account for the largest vodka consumption in the country, according to the Research Center for Federal and Regional Alcohol Markets.
Experts found that in the course of one year, residents of the Sakhalin Region drink 12 liters of vodka per capita while Magadan Region residents drink 11.4 liters per person. These data are based on the analysis of local alcohol sales, Izvestia reports.
Researchers also claim that in the above regions average wages are higher than the nationwide average and, therefore, locals can afford buying a lot of alcohol.
Analysts also identified a pattern. In the northern regions where people consume large amounts of strong spirits, the consumption of low-alcohol drinks such as beer is rather modest. This is not only linked to the harsh climate but also to the composition of the regions’ population which consists mostly of men involved in rotational shiftwork.