Evaluation of Price Elasticity of Demand for Alcohol Among Population Groups with Varying Income Levels and Alcohol Consumption

The study aims to assess the price elasticity of demand for alcohol among different socio-economic groups in Russia to support the national priority of preserving and developing human capital. The issue of alcohol abuse in the country remains a significant threat to public health and the economy. Data from RLMS, containing information on socio-economic and demographic characteristics of individuals, were used for analysis. The study is based on panel data methods. The results allow understanding how changes in alcohol prices affect its consumption among different socio-economic groups. This enables the development of targeted measures to reduce alcohol consumption and, consequently, strengthen human capital. Limitations of the study include possible sample bias due to the non-representativeness of RLMS data and underestimation of alcohol consumption data due to potential negative attitudes of respondents towards alcohol dependence. However, despite this, the results enable the identification of the response of different groups to changes in alcohol prices.