Experts from the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation have proposed introducing a ‘moonshine index’ as an indicator of the country’s economic situation. The level of home-made alcohol consumption reflects the level of citizen’s material prosperity, analysts say.
A survey conducted this summer and fall in Russia’s large and mid-sized cities revealed that the overall consumption of home distilled spirits has been decreasing, the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper reported. The cities that produce the most moonshine include Ulyanovsk, Saransk, Astrakhan, Lipetsk, and Novorossiysk. According to the survey, these regions have faced considerable difficulties that forced its residents to stop buying expensive alcoholic beverages. According to the researchers, the worsening economic situation results in citizens switching to cheap alcohol; growing consumption of moonshine reflects population’s reducing real income.
In cities with the population of over 250,000, only 4.5% of residents produce home distilled spirits, while the reverse situation is observed much more often in small towns and rural areas.