Russia is experiencing a dramatic rise in the use of antidepressants, with sales in early 2025 reaching the highest level in five years.
According to data from the DSM Group, pharmacies across the country sold 3.2 million packages of antidepressants in January and February alone—a 15% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
In monetary terms, the jump is even more striking: sales reached 2.8 billion rubles, a 30% increase year-on-year.
The trend has been accelerating since 2021.
Back then, just 1.3 million packages were sold in the first two months of the year. Since then, the figure has more than doubled, as has the money Russians are spending on these medications—up from 830.7 million rubles just four years ago.
This was reported by The Moscow Times.
The analytics firm RNC Pharma confirmed the trend, reporting that from January 1 to February 23, pharmacies sold 3.14 million packages, up 24.5% compared to the same period in 2024.
Some drugs have seen especially strong growth:
Duloxetine sales surged by 51%
Sertraline increased by 35%
Escitalopram rose by 30%
Popular pharmacy chains and marketplaces also reported large spikes. On the Zdravsiti platform, sales were up 61% in quantity and 77% in revenue. Rigla sold 200,000 packages, a one-third increase, with revenue in the segment growing by 50%. The 36.6 chain saw a 19% rise in sales, and Apteka 25 reported an 80% increase in packages sold—though it did not disclose total volumes.
Medical professionals say the increase is being driven by a steep rise in anxiety and depressive disorders.
“We’re seeing a clear growth in stress-related conditions,” said neurologist and psychotherapist Olga Kotova, noting that people are increasingly seeking help from professionals rather than relying on traditional herbal remedies like hawthorn or motherwort.
Nikolai Bespalov, development director at RNC Pharma, agreed, saying the stigma around mental health is slowly eroding, and more Russians are now willing to take prescribed medications to cope with emotional stress.
That stress has been building steadily through the fourth year of war in Ukraine, along with the effects of international sanctions, economic instability, and casualties from the front.
