Muslim Kazakhstan unexpectedly took first place ($27.9 million) in imports of vodka from Russia for 2023. Second place, even more unexpectedly, was taken by Israel. Followed by Armenia ($4.5 million), Georgia and Azerbaijan - with $3.9 and $3.5 million, respectively.
In total, vodka brought 59.7 million dollars to the Russian budget last year.
It is important to note that in 2022, Russian vodka was exported in large volumes, thanks to European countries such as Latvia, Germany and the United Kingdom. However, the import of Russian vodka into these countries was subsequently banned as part of the sanctions measures. This clearly affected the total volume of exports and led to a change in the ranking of the largest consumers.
Thus, Kazakhstan continues to be an important market for Russian vodka, maintaining its position as a leader among importers. Israel, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan also remain significant consumers, although their import volumes may vary depending on various factors, writes Moscow Komsomolets.