Russia's funeral industry booms amid record losses in Ukraine
In the first quarter of 2026, 524 new funeral and burial service companies were registered in Russia – a 37.5% increase year on year.
Source: The Moscow Times, an independent Amsterdam-based news outlet, citing the Russian newspaper Kommersant
Details: The figure of 524 new companies came from the data analysis platform Rusprofile. A similar trend was reported by Kontur.Fokus, which recorded 500 new companies.
The total number of organisations in the industry has reached 11,300, up 5.7% compared to a year earlier.
The Moscow Times notes that the rise in the number of new funeral businesses comes as the Russian armed forces suffer record losses in the war against Ukraine unleashed by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.
According to data released by Rosstat, the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, the cost of a coffin in Russia has risen by 84% since the beginning of 2022, while the cost of a grave has increased by 51%.
In January and February 2026, the volume of funeral services provided rose by 6.9% compared to the same period last year, while in monetary terms there was a 15.7% increase to RUB 22.7 billion (about US$153.72 million).
Background: It was reported in 2025 that profits of funeral service companies in Russia had surged since the start of 2024, with industry revenues reaching RUB 39.5 billion (over US$440 million) amid record mortality and the war in Ukraine.
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