According to the "Retail Audit of Drug Sales in Russia (total sell out)" from the analytical company RNC Pharma, in January–May 2026, the inflation rate (calculated using the Laspeyres method) for pharmaceutical drugs in the retail segment of the Russian pharmaceutical market (including new regions) reached 6.4%. A pronounced regional specificity is observed: in 35 federal subjects of the Russian Federation, price growth was below the market average, while in 50 regions, inflation on pharmaceutical drugs exceeded the national figure.

Interestingly, the largest Russian pharmaceutical retail markets — in particular, Moscow and Saint Petersburg — demonstrated a moderating effect on the overall dynamics during the reporting period, with inflation recorded below the national average at 5.5% and 5.6%, respectively. A similar moderate trend was observed in Moscow and Leningrad Oblasts, where price growth for pharmaceutical drugs did not exceed 6%.

The highest price growth for pharmaceutical drugs in January–May 2026 was recorded in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), where inflation was double the national average at 12.8% compared to the same period last year. Following in the ranking of high-inflation regions are the Chechen Republic with 10.4% and the Altai Republic, where the price index reached 9.3%. The top five are rounded out by Chukotka Autonomous Okrug and Kirov Oblast, which showed price growth of 9.1% and 8.6%, respectively. Various factors drive price dynamics in these regions. In Yakutia and Chukotka, the influence of logistics factors is evident. In the Chechen Republic, the effect of administrative measures can be assumed, as the region was expected to complete the implementation of online cash registers last year, leading to increased costs for market participants and the need to compensate them through price indexation.

The lowest inflation rate for pharmaceutical drugs during the analyzed period was recorded in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, where the price index did not exceed 4.9%. The group of subjects with the most restrained price dynamics also included Kaliningrad Oblast, Khabarovsk Krai, as well as the Republics of Karelia and Bashkortostan. Low inflation in these regions is also driven by various factors, including the scale of government procurement and preferential drug coverage, which reduce the burden on the commercial sector. Also to be considered are the indicators of regional pharmacy network development and the level of competition in specific markets, which undoubtedly influence margin indicators and the ability to engage in price competition.

Additional information on inflation indicators in the retail segment of the Russian pharmaceutical market can be found on our website in the Operational Analytics section.