A study presented at the Eastern Economic Forum found that real consumption in master-planned cities in Russia’s Far Eastern Federal District rose 4.9% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2024.
The calculation took the age and gender composition of the cities into account and was adjusted for regional inflation and the size of the fixed basket of consumer goods and services. The increase in the Far East was below the 7.2% rise recorded across Russia.
Komsomolsk-on-Amur ranks first
The largest increase in consumption was recorded in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, at 11.9%. It was followed by Krasnokamensk at 9%, Belogorsk at 8.5%, Birobidzhan at 7.6% and Bolshoy Kamen at 7.1%.
Consumption fell by 4.3% in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and by 0.9% in Magadan. The increase was limited to 1.2% in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, 1.4% in Nerюngri and 1.5% in Yakutsk.
Consumption rose by 3.8% in Vladivostok and by 6.2% in Khabarovsk, two of the region’s major cities.
Monthly consumption in the Far East reaches 38,700 rubles
In terms of absolute consumption, the region’s cities did not lag behind the Russian average. While average monthly consumption nationwide was calculated at 34,000 rubles, the figure was 38,700 rubles in Tynda, 37,200 in Chita, 36,700 in Severobaikalsk, 36,600 in Blagoveshchensk and 36,300 in Khabarovsk.
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky ranked first among the cities with the lowest monthly consumption, at 27,900 rubles. The figure was 28,400 rubles in Anadyr, 30,300 in Yakutsk, 31,300 in Nerюngri and 32,600 in Ussuriysk.
Online marketplaces account for 12% of spending
Online marketplaces played an important role in meeting consumer needs in Far Eastern cities. They accounted for 12% of consumer spending in the region, compared with 15% across Russia.
Over the two-year period, the share of marketplaces in spending increased by 5 percentage points nationwide. The increase reached 8 percentage points in Birobidzhan and stood at 6-7 percentage points in other cities in Amur Oblast and Primorsky and Khabarovsk krais.
An increase 4 percentage points below the Russian average was recorded in Anadyr, Magadan, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. These cities continued to have weak transport links with the country’s main territory.
Restaurants and cafes accounted for 5% of spending in the Far East, while recreation and sports accounted for 1.5% and education for 1%. Across Russia, the corresponding shares were calculated at 5.7%, 3.6% and 2.8%.
In 2025, 0.7% of the adult population left the region
An analysis based on transaction data showed that 0.7% of the adult population left the Far East in 2025. Strong universities in the region contributed to retaining young people, while some young people arrived from other regions after completing their education.
At the same time, younger generations continued to show a tendency to leave the region. The analysis indicated that reversing this trend would be difficult without appropriate public policies.
Investment, logistics and housing construction were decisive
Taras Skvortsov, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board and Chief Financial Officer of Sberbank, said that between 2022 and 2024, the Far Eastern regions lagged behind other Russian regions in terms of increases in business turnover and household incomes.
According to Skvortsov, key indicators began rising more rapidly from 2025 onward. He said that public investment and the country’s targeted policies, rather than state orders, drove regional development.
Skvortsov said growth rates varied across regions and that major projects, logistics, transport and housing construction were decisive. He also said leading Far Eastern cities needed to attract workers for new production facilities and called for living standards to be improved by expanding access to essential goods and services, recreational opportunities, education and health care.
The Eastern Economic Forum is being held in Vladivostok from September 1 to 4.
