The value of Russia’s retail pharmaceutical market reached 1.83 trillion rubles in 2025, marking a 13.3% increase year-on-year, according to the press service of the Center for the Development of Advanced Technologies (CRPT), the operator of the national product labeling system.
At the same time, sales in physical terms totaled 4.7 billion packages, which is 1.1% lower than in 2024.
“The data from the labeling system made it possible to observe not only total sales volumes but also deeper processes in the market: consolidation of pharmacy retail, product life cycles, and regional dynamics. In 2025, 1,286 new drugs entered the market, while 831 products were discontinued. Another 55 returned after a break. As a result, the assortment expanded to 14,785 items. However, only 50 of the new products (less than 4%) generated 80% of total sales among newly launched medicines. The remaining products had no significant impact on revenue,” the statement said.
According to the report, the number of pharmacies increased by 4.3% in 2025, reaching 82,300 outlets. At the same time, the number of legal entities operating pharmacies declined by 7.9%, falling to 11,600. Over the past two years, the market share of federal pharmacy chains has grown from 40% to 50%.
The assortment structure also shows that pharmacy chains dominate across most retail formats, except for the smallest outlets—those carrying fewer than 500 products. In this segment, independent pharmacies remain strong, including those located within hospitals.
CRPT analysts also noted that 94% of new products introduced to the market are variations of existing medicines, such as new dosages, dosage forms, or combinations of known substances.
“Only 6% represent truly new molecules. At the same time, variations generate 74% of revenue from all newly launched products, while absolute innovations account for just 26%. The market is evolving mainly through variations,” the press service emphasized.
Source: TASS, February 20, 2026.
