HSE Researchers Discover Who Eats Out in Russia—And Why
Around one-third of Russians (31.3%) rarely eat out or buy ready-made meals. The core group of active consumers—those who eat out or purchase prepared food almost every day or several times a week—accounts for only about 9% of the population. These are the findings of a study conducted by the HSE Institute for Social Policy. According to the researchers eating out is no longer a marker of high social status in Russia.
Instead, it has become part of everyday life, although the choice of dining format and its frequency depend heavily on lifestyle, family circumstances, and the availability of time.
Researchers at the HSE Institute for Social Policy—Oksana Sinyavskaya, Svetlana Biryukova, and Daria Stuzhuk—examined how Russians’ eating-out habits are changing. Using data from the 2024 Economic Behaviour of Households project, they identified three main patterns of consumer behaviour and found that frequent use of ready-made meals and dining out is now driven by two contrasting motivations: having an abundance of time or, conversely, a shortage of it. The findings have been published in the journal Voprosy Ekonomiki.
The researchers identified three distinct behavioural groups. Around one-third of respondents (31.3%) rarely eat out or buy prepared food. The largest group (43.8%) consists of people who occasionally visit full-service restaurants, most likely for special occasions such as celebrations or meeting friends. This pattern can be described as occasion-based consumption. The remaining quarter of respondents (24.9%) occasionally engage in a wide range of eating-out practices—from restaurants and fast food to takeaway deliveries—although home-cooked meals still form the basis of their diet.
The core group of active consumers—those who eat out almost every day or several times a week—accounts for only around 9% of the overall sample. This group is more likely to include young people under the age of 24, residents of large cities (particularly Moscow), and individuals who rate their financial situation as comfortable.
‘We noticed one very important finding: among the general population, frequent engagement in eating-out practices appears to be driven by two fundamentally different reasons,’ said Oksana Sinyavskaya, Deputy Director of the HSE Institute for Social Policy. ‘The first, which we have provisionally labelled ‘an abundance of time,’ is typical of students. For them, going to a café or burger restaurant is not simply about eating—it is a form of leisure and social interaction. The second, ‘a shortage of time,’ is characteristic of middle-aged working adults with demanding jobs and significant family responsibilities, particularly those in higher-income groups. For them, ordering prepared food or having lunch in a canteen is a way of saving time—in effect, outsourcing part of their household responsibilities.’
The study also found that gender and marital status are significant factors associated with eating out and consuming ready-made meals. Women are somewhat more likely than men to belong to the core group of prepared-food consumers. This is likely because they tend to carry a heavier overall workload, combining paid employment with a greater share of domestic responsibilities. As a result, they have less time for cooking while still bearing the primary responsibility for feeding their families.
‘We observe a clear gradient linked to the size of the settlement,’ said Svetlana Biryukova, Chief Research Fellow at the Centre for Comprehensive Social Policy Studies, Institute for Social Policy, HSE University. ‘The larger the settlement, the greater people’s involvement with eating-out practices. This suggests that the development of food-service infrastructure—the density of catering establishments and the availability of food delivery services—is one of the key drivers behind changing eating habits.’
Daria Stuzhuk, Junior Research Fellow at the Centre for Comprehensive Social Policy Studies, Institute for Social Policy, HSE University, added: ‘Alongside other factors, eating out is strongly and positively associated with income. This is clearly reflected in our cluster analysis, which enabled us to identify the three behavioural models described above. As we move from the first group—Russians who never eat out—to the third group, whose members engage in the widest variety of eating-out practices, respondents’ level of material well-being increases steadily.’
An analysis of the high-income group—defined as individuals with a monthly income of at least 165,000 roubles per person—showed that eating out has become widespread and almost routine among affluent Russians. However, their eating habits are so diverse that no clear behavioural patterns could be identified. At the same time, analysis of the nationwide survey data demonstrated that around two-thirds of Russians do not belong to the core group of active consumers, eating out quite rarely or not at all.
Overall, the authors conclude that eating out in Russia is no longer solely a symbol of affluence or high social status. While it has not yet become a standard pattern of behaviour, it is increasingly becoming a part of everyday life. Nevertheless, the choice of dining format and the frequency of eating out continue to depend heavily on people’s lifestyles, family circumstances, and the time they have available.
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