
Russian housing sector teeters on bankruptcy as rates stay high
Russia’s economy is slowing sharply as high mortgage rates push housing developers toward bankruptcy, with Deputy PM Marat Khusnullin warning that up to 30% could fail if conditions don’t improve; about 20% already face serious risks. The Central Bank’s rate has remained elevated (peaking at 21% in 2024 and around 16% by late 2025), while government programs fund roughly 80% of mortgages and only 20% are on market terms. Some developers have collapsed or are near collapse, and sales of new housing fell 26% year-on-year in January–June, with value down 2.1 trillion rubles.