Friendly countries accelerate business registrations in Russia
In 2025 there were 17% more business registrations from abroad than in 2024. This is reported by RIA Novosti, citing a study by the Rusprofile counterparty verification and analysis service.
The agency only analysed businesses (excluding sole proprietors) that were founded or co-founded by foreign nationals or foreign companies. According to Rusprofile, foreign founders registered 8,932 legal entities in Russia last year, or 17% more than a year earlier (in 2024, foreign owners opened 7,642 companies). A total of 66,202 companies with foreign involvement are currently operating in Russia, the agency notes.
Chinese businesspeople registered the greatest number of companies last year — 4,332, or roughly 50% more than in 2024 (2,996), followed by Belarus (2,187 in 2025; 1,864 in 2024) and Kyrgyzstan (487 in 2025; 457 in 2024) as the top three.
Roman Koposov, deputy director of the strategic consulting company ARB Pro, quoted by RIA Novosti, puts the trend down to the fact that openings left by the departure of certain Western players in the supply, distribution, service, and componentry sectors and a number of consumer product areas are now being filled by entrepreneurs from friendly countries. Additionally, supply chains and financial sourcing have been reconfigured. "Businesses need new logistics routes, trading companies, service companies, warehouse operators and sales channels," he said.
To this end, he said, it is often more convenient and cheaper to have a legal entity in Russia, making it easier to sign contracts, handle personnel, provide warranty service, manage warehouses and reduce transaction costs. Koposov added that the growing business registrations cannot be interpreted as a rise in traditional direct investment, but "rather as a tool for engaging in systematic market operations."
Earlier, Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseev stated that although in 2025 the number of applications from foreign investors wishing to exit the Russian market had fallen by about half compared to 2024, the exodus of businesses from Russia "definitely continues." Moiseev said most of the applications are now coming from medium-sized businesses, while the large companies have either already left or do not want to leave and are trying to keep their assets in Russia.
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20.01.26