Publication date: 09 Nov 2020

More than half of Russians (61%) think of 2020 as a bad year, and only 3% of them say it has been the best year.

• 28% of respondents rated this year 1 point out of 10 2020 has become the worst year in their life.
• 21% rated this year 5 points and said 2020 is no different from other years.
• Only 18% of respondents gave 2020 a higher rate—from 6 to 10.

How is the number of internet users in Russia changing?

Pandemic-related restrictions have contributed to the PC market’s record growth.

• According to M.Video-Eldorado, Russia’s largest consumer electronic retailer, about 2.5 million laptops were sold in the first nine months of 2020—a 40% year-on-year rise. In money terms, the market grew by 54% to 106 billion rubles.
• Svyaznoy, Russia’s second-largest independent handset retailer, reported a 41% year-on-year rise in laptop sales in the third quarter, with 1.1 million laptops sold.
• According to Ozon, one of the first e-commerce companies in Russia, Russians were actively buying laptops and desktops in spring. Laptop sales in March-May surged by 161% year-on-year, sales of monitors and system units were up by 25% and 158%, respectively.

Experts predict the demand for PCs to remain high at least until the year-end. In addition to pandemic-related restrictions and remote work, the Russian national currency is weakening. People expect a growth in prices for electronics and therefore hurry to make purchases. Other experts predict that the PC market will face a slowdown in the longer term, as people planning to buy a new device for gaming, work, or distant learning have already done or will do it in 2020.

How much time do Russians spend online?

Russians started spending more time online on desktops and laptops during the pandemic, a research by Mediascope, Russia’s leading media research company, showed. In April, the average daily time spent online on devices increased by 12% to 111 minutes compared to March and February. In the 12-24 age group, the time increased by almost a quarter (23%).

• It is worth noting that in the first half of 2020, the volume of the Russian video game market grew by 21% year-on-year and amounted to $1.15 billion.