Krasnodar. About two-thirds (63%) of all individual entrepreneurs in Russia are people aged 35–54. In 2025, the number of entrepreneurs over 45 increased by almost 2%. Women now make up 43% of individual entrepreneurs, which is 3% more than at the beginning of the year. The most common field for individual entrepreneurs in Russia is trade (40%). Moreover, retail employs eight times more entrepreneurs than wholesale. The top three also include transportation and storage (13%), as well as construction (8%). Combined, these three key sectors already employ 6 out of 10 individual entrepreneurs in the country. Among the fastest-growing sectors after IT, experts noted scientific and technical activities (+10%), culture, sports and entertainment (+9%), construction (+9%), and real estate operations (+8%). Analysts link this to a shift in small business activity towards digital technologies, creative industries, and highly specialized professional services.

Chairman of the Southwestern Bank of Sberbank:

“The geographical distribution of business activity in the country is uneven. According to the study, 10 regions accounted for 37% of all Russian individual entrepreneurs. The most entrepreneurial were residents of the Krasnodar Krai, with businesses in the Moscow Oblast in second place, and individual entrepreneurs from the Rostov Oblast in third. These high indicators in southern Russia are associated with five main factors: high investment attractiveness for starting one’s own business; a rapidly growing trend of running a family business; comprehensive support measures in industries prioritized for the GRP of southern regions; favorable climatic conditions; and a younger, more solvent population structure.

Traditionally, it is in the South and North Caucasus that businesses are most often started and developed with the support and participation of the family. According to our estimates, about half of southern small businesses are now growing with the involvement of relatives. Most often, these are spouses; the least common option is daughters-in-law and sons-in-law. Southern entrepreneurs consider the main advantages of this to be a higher level of trust, faster decision-making, and a comfortable and effective change of business roles. Throughout 2025, we observed a strengthening trend of business rejuvenation: every sixth entrepreneur is under 25. This process is most active in Kuban and the Don region, Adygea, the Crimean Peninsula, Karachay-Cherkessia, and North Ossetia-Alania. These same regions show high growth dynamics in the number of women entrepreneurs. In 2025, the portrait of a southern small entrepreneur continued to transform. On average, today it is a 39-year-old man from the Southern Federal District employed in trade.”

The study by SberAnalytics was built using the “Regional Economy Monitoring” analytical panel and is based on aggregated anonymized information about the needs of 111 million buyers and 7 million legal entities: age, gender, business registration region, and the field of activity of individual entrepreneurs according to the OKVED classifier. Data from more than 70 internal and external sources were also used, allowing for a more detailed analysis of different markets, taking into account industry and regional specifics.

Krasnodar

Krasnodar is a major city in southern Russia, founded in 1793 by Catherine the Great as a fortress and named Yekaterinodar (“Catherine’s Gift”) to guard the empire’s new Kuban region. It was renamed Krasnodar (“Red Gift”) in 1920 following the Russian Civil War and today serves as the cultural and economic hub of the fertile Kuban area, known for its Cossack heritage.

Krasnodar Krai

Krasnodar Krai is a federal subject and key agricultural region in southwestern Russia, often called the country’s “breadbasket.” Historically, it encompasses the Kuban region, which was settled by Cossacks in the late 18th century after the territory was annexed from the Ottoman Empire. Today, it is also a major tourist destination, famed for its Black Sea resorts like Sochi, which hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Moscow Oblast

Moscow Oblast is the federal region surrounding, but not including, the capital city of Moscow. Historically, it has been the heart of the Russian state for centuries, dotted with ancient towns, historic monasteries like the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius in Sergiev Posad, and former noble estates. Today, it is a major industrial and scientific center, while also preserving significant cultural heritage from medieval times through the Imperial era.

Rostov Oblast

Rostov Oblast is a federal subject in southwestern Russia, with its capital at Rostov-on-Don, a major cultural and industrial hub historically known as the “gateway to the Caucasus.” The region has a rich Cossack heritage, being the historical center of the Don Cossack Host, and was a strategically vital area during the Russian Empire and World War II. Today, it is an important agricultural and transport region, known for its steppe landscapes and the Don River.

Kuban

“Kuban” refers to the historical and geographical region of southern Russia around the Kuban River, primarily comprising the Krasnodar Krai. Historically, it was a contested frontier, inhabited by Circassians and later becoming a major Cossack host territory after being annexed by the Russian Empire in the late 18th century. Today, it is known as a fertile agricultural area and a popular tourist destination for its Black Sea resorts.

Don region

The Don region, centered around the Don River in southwestern Russia, is historically significant as the homeland of the Don Cossacks, a semi-autonomous warrior community that emerged in the 15th-16th centuries. Its vast steppes were a frontier of the Russian Empire and a major agricultural center, later becoming a crucial industrial and logistical hub, especially during World War II. Today, it is known for its distinctive Cossack culture, agriculture, and the city of Rostov-on-Don.

Adygea

Adygea is a republic in southwestern Russia, located within the North Caucasus region and entirely surrounded by the Krasnodar Krai. Historically, it is the homeland of the Adyghe people (Circassians), who have a rich cultural heritage dating back millennia, though they faced significant displacement in the 19th century following the Caucasian War with the Russian Empire. Today, it is known for its mountainous landscapes, UNESCO-listed natural sites, and the preservation of Adyghe language and traditions.

Crimean Peninsula

The Crimean Peninsula is a strategically significant Black Sea region with a complex history of settlement and rule by various groups, including ancient Greeks, Goths, the Byzantine Empire, and the Crimean Khanate. It was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1783, became part of the Ukrainian SSR in 1954, and is internationally recognized as part of Ukraine despite its controversial annexation by Russia in 2014. The peninsula is also home to historic sites like the ancient Greek city of Chersonesus and was the location of the Crimean War in the 1850s.