Demographics of Russia

As of the 2021 census, the population of Russia was 147.2 million.[9] It is the most populous country in Europe, and the ninth-most populous country in the world, with a population density of 8.5 inhabitants per square kilometre (22 inhabitants/sq mi).[10] As of 2020, the overall life expectancy in Russia at birth was 71.54 years (66.49 years for males and 76.43 years for females).[1]

Demographics of Russia
Population pyramid of Russia as of 1 January 2024
Population144,699,673
Decrease 146,115,376 (December, 2023)[1]
Growth rateDecrease 0.39 (2020)[1]
Birth rateDecrease 9.0 births/1,000 population (2022)[2]
Death rateNeutral decrease 13.1 deaths/1,000 population (2022)
Life expectancyDecrease 70.06 years (2021)[1]
 • maleDecrease 65.51 years (2021)[1]
 • femaleDecrease 74.51 years (2021)[1]
Fertility rateDecrease 1.42 (2022)[3]
Infant mortality rateNeutral decrease 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2020)[1]
Net migration rate0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2020)[1]
Age structure
Under 18 years~23.21%[4]
18–44 years~34.73%[4]
45–64 years26.55%[4]
65 and over15.6%[4]
Sex ratio
Total0.86 male(s)/female (2009)
At birth1.06 male(s)/female
Under 151.06 male(s)/female (male 11,980,138/female 11,344,818)
15–64 years0.925 male(s)/female (male 48,166,470/female 52,088,967)
65 and over0.44 male(s)/female (male 5,783,983/female 13,105,896)
Nationality
Nationalitynoun: Russian(s) adjective: Russian
Major ethnicRussians
Language
SpokenRussian, others
Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
0 9,000,000—    
1000 9,000,000+0.00%
1200 14,500,000+0.24%
1500 14,700,000+0.00%
1600 18,000,000+0.20%
1700 18,000,000+0.00%
1800 25,000,000+0.33%
1900 73,000,000+1.08%
1926 93,000,000+0.94%
1930 100,000,000+1.83%
1960 119,000,000+0.58%
1970 130,079,000+0.89%
1979 137,552,000+0.62%
1989 147,386,000+0.69%
2000 146,597,000−0.05%
2010 142,849,000−0.26%
2021 144,700,000+0.12%
Source:[5][6][7][failed verification][8]

From 1992 to 2012, and again since 2016, Russia's death rate has exceeded its birth rate, which has been called a demographic crisis by analysts.[11] Subsequently, the nation has an ageing population, with the median age of the country being 40.3 years.[12] In 2009, Russia recorded annual population growth for the first time in fifteen years; during the mid-2010s, Russia had seen increased population growth due to declining death rates, increased birth rates and increased immigration.[13] Between 2020 and 2021, prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia's population had undergone its largest peacetime decline in recorded history, due to excess deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic.[14] In addition, at least 1 million Russians fled the country to avoid military service in the war.

Russia is a multinational state,[15] home to over 193 ethnic groups nationwide. In the 2021 Census, nearly 72% of the population were ethnic Russians and approximately 19% of the population were ethnic minorities.[fn 1][16] According to the United Nations, Russia's immigrant population is the world's third largest, numbering over 11.6 million; most of whom are from other post-Soviet states.[17]

Population

Demographic statistics according to the latest Rosstat vital statistics[18] and the World Population Review in 2019.[19]

  • One birth every 22 seconds[18]
  • One death every 13 seconds[18]
  • Net loss of one person every 30 seconds[18]

Demographic crisis

Thousands of abandoned villages are scattered across Russia[20] due to failed Soviet policies.
Total population of Russia 1950–2010

After having peaked at 148,689,000 in 1991, the population then decreased, falling to 142,737,196 by 2008.[21] Russia has become increasingly reliant on immigration to maintain its population; 2021 had the highest net immigration since 1994,[22] despite which there was a small overall decline from 146.1 million to 145.4 million in 2021, the largest decline in over a decade.[23]

The natural population had declined by 997,000 between October 2020 and September 2021 (the difference between the number of births and the number of deaths over a period).[24] The natural death rate in January 2020, 2021, and 2022 have each been nearly double the natural birth rate.[25]

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the demographic crisis in the country has deepened,[26] as the country has reportedly suffered high military fatalities while facing renewed brain drain and human capital flight caused by Western mass-sanctions and boycotts.[27] Many commentators predict that the situation will be worse than during the 1990s.[28]

In March 2023, The Economist reported that "Over the past three years the country has lost around 2 million more people than it would ordinarily have done, as a result of war [in Ukraine], disease and exodus."[29]

The UN is projecting that the decline that started in 2021 will continue, and if current demographic conditions persist, Russia’s population would be 120 million in fifty years, a decline of about 17%.[30][29]

Fertility

Population age pyramid of Russia from 1946 to 2023

Between 1993 and 2008, there was a great decrease in the country's population from 148 to 143 million.[31] There was a huge 50% decrease in the number of births per year from 2.5 million in 1987 to 1.2 million since 1997, but the current 1.42 fertility rate is still higher than that of the 1990s.[31]

At the beginning of 2022, 320,400 babies were born between January and March, 16,600 fewer than January–March 2021. There were nearly twice as many deaths (584,700) as births.[31] The crude birth rate - 8.9 per 100,000 inhabitants - was the lowest since the year 2000.[31]

Russia has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world with 1.42 children per woman in 2022, below 2.1 children per woman, which must be the number reached in order to maintain its population.[31] As a result of their low fertility for decades, the Russian population is one of the oldest in the world with an average of 40.3 years.[31]

Historical fertility rates

The total fertility rate is the number of children born to each woman. It is based on fairly good data for the entire period. Sources: Our World In Data and Gapminder Foundation.[32]

TFR of Russia from 1843 to 2016

In many of the years from 1843 to 1917, Russia had the highest total fertility rate in the world.[32] These elevated fertility rates did not lead to population growth due to high mortality rate, the casualties of the Russian Revolution, the two world wars and to a lesser extent the political killings.

TFRYears
1840184118421843184418451846184718481849[32]
7777.017.027.037.057.067.087.08
1850185118521853185418551856185718581859[32]
7.077.077.077.067.057.037.0176.986.97
1860186118621863186418651866186718681869[32]
6.956.936.956.966.986.997.017.026.516.87
1870187118721873187418751876187718781879[32]
6.747.036.857.247.177.157.026.876.586.98
1880188118821883188418851886188718881889[32]
6.86.667.036.896.836.746.476.616.966.8
1890189118921893189418951896189718981899[32]
6.717.446.577.177.187.347.437.527.287.36
1900190119021903190419051906190719081909[32]
7.367.27.367.27.246.727.047.087.447.12
1910191119121913191419151916191719181919[32]
7.27.27.26.966.883.365.25.045.723.44
1920192119221923192419251926[32]
6.724.7266.486.726.86.72
Years19411942194319441945[32]
4.602.961.681.721.92
Birth and death rates and natural growth, 1950–2014

Historical crude birth rates

Births and deaths in Russia: a) moving 12-month sum, b) daily average, Jan 1956 – Feb 2022
Years1801–18101811–18201821–18301831–18401841–18501851–1860[33]
Crude birth rates of Russia43.740.042.745.649.752.4
Years1861–18701871–18801881–18901891–19001901–19101911–191418th century
(only Orthodox)
1801–1860
(only Orthodox)[33]
Crude birth rates of Russia50.350.450.449.246.843.951.050.0

Age structure

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2012): [34]
Age GroupMaleFemaleTotal%
Total66 264 91076 936 820143 201 730100
0–44 377 5264 155 6828 533 2085.97
5–93 762 8063 588 0327 350 8385.13
10–143 396 3643 231 7616 628 1254.63
15–193 776 0263 615 8407 391 8665.16
20–245 708 1875 515 54311 223 7307.84
25–296 262 3796 179 62812 442 0078.69
30–345 583 5135 647 63611 231 1497.84
35–395 087 5655 331 81810 419 3837.28
40–444 589 5044 861 9839 451 4876.60
45–494 632 2795 151 8139 784 0926.83
50–545 279 3646 219 07711 498 4418.03
55–594 480 8555 817 55910 298 4147.19
60–643 523 9905 010 8678 534 8575.96
65-691 602 8392 571 6714 174 5102.92
70-741 989 7243 975 3485 965 0724.17
75-791 179 4762 709 3843 888 8602.72
80-84722 1512 073 8032 795 9541.95
85-89253 0281 008 6271 261 6550.88
90-9446 736219 427266 1630.19
95-998 63443 98852 6220.04
100+1 9647 3339 2970.01
Age groupMaleFemaleTotalPercent
0–1411 536 69610 975 47522 512 17115.72
15–6448 923 66253 351 764102 275 42671.42
65+5 804 55212 609 58118 414 13312.86

Median age

Life expectancy in Russia since 1896
total: 40.7 years. Country comparison to the world: 51st
male: 37.6 years
female: 43.5 years (2021 est.)

Life expectancy

Life expectancy in Russia since 1959 by gender
total population: 70.06 years for a child born in 2021, decreasing from 73.34 in 2019[1]
male: 65.51 years (2021)
female: 74.51 years (2021)

Infant mortality rate

total: 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2020)[1]
male: 5.0 deaths/1,000 live births (2020)
female: 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2020)

Vital statistics

Before WW2

Average population[35]Live birthsDeathsNatural changeCrude birth rate (per 1,000)Crude death rate (per 1,000)Natural change (per 1,000)Total fertility ratesLife Expectancy (male)Life Expectancy (female)
192794,596,0004,688,0002,705,0001,983,00049.628.621.06.7333.737.9
192896,654,0004,723,0002,589,0002,134,00048.926.822.16.5635.940.4
192998,644,0004,633,0002,819,0001,814,00047.028.618.46.2333.738.2
1930100,419,0004,413,0002,738,0001,675,00043.927.316.75.8334.638.7
1931101,948,0004,412,0003,090,0001,322,00043.330.313.05.6330.735.5
1932103,136,0004,058,0003,077,000981,00039.329.89.55.0930.535.7
1933102,706,0003,313,0005,239,000-1,926,00032.351.0-18.84.1515.219.5
1934102,922,0002,923,0002,659,000264,00028.726.12.63.5730.535.7
1935102,684,0003,577,0002,421,0001,156,00034.823.611.34.3133.138.4
1936103,904,0003,899,0002,719,0001,180,00037.526.211.44.5430.435.7
1937105,358,0004,377,0002,760,0001,617,00041.526.215.35.0830.540.0
1938107,044,0004,379,0002,739,0001,640,00040.925.615.34.9931.742.5
1939108,785,0004,329,0002,600,0001,729,00039.823.915.94.9134.942.6
1940110,333,0003,814,0002,561,0001,253,00034.623.211.44.2635.741.9

After WW2

Vital Statistics of Russia 1946–2022[35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45]
Total average population (January 1, 1993 onwards)Live birthsDeathsNatural changeCrude birth rate (per 1,000)Crude death rate (per 1,000)Natural change (per 1,000)Crude migration change (per 1,000)Total fertility rates[fn 2]Urban fertilityRural fertilityLife Expectancy (male)Life Expectancy (female)Life Expectancy (total)Abortions (including miscarriages) reported
194698,028,0002,546,0001,210,0001,336,00026.012.313.6-5.42.8146.655.3
194798,834,0002,715,0001,680,0001,035,00027.517.010.5-1.72.9439.949.8
194899,706,0002,516,0001,310,0001,206,00025.213.112.12.52.6047.056.0
1949101,160,0003,089,0001,187,0001,902,00030.511.718.8-2.33.2151.059.8
1950102,833,0002,859,0001,180,0001,679,00027.811.516.3-0.72.8952.361.0
1951104,439,0002,938,0001,210,0001,728,00028.111.616.502.9252.360.6
1952106,164,0002,928,0001,138,0001,790,00027.610.716.9-1.22.8754.662.9
1953107,828,0002,822,0001,118,0001,704,00026.210.415.81.02.7355.563.9
1954109,643,0003,048,0001,133,0001,915,00027.810.317.50.12.9755.964.1
1955111,572,0002,942,0001,037,0001,905,00026.49.317.1-1.42.8258.366.6
1956113,327,0002,827,000956,0001,871,00024.98.416.5-1.42.7360.168.8
1957115,035,0002,880,0001,017,0001,863,00025.08.816.2-1.32.7559.768.43,407,398
1958116,749,0002,861,000931,0001,930,00024.58.016.5-3.22.6961.870.43,939,362
1959118,307,0002,796,228920,2251,876,00323.67.815.9-2.42.582.033.3462.8471.1467.654,174,111
1960119,906,0002,782,353886,0901,896,26323.27.415.8-1.82.562.063.2663.6772.3168.674,373,042
1961121,586,0002,662,135901,6371,760,49821.97.414.5-1.82.472.043.0863.9172.6368.924,759,040
1962123,128,0002,482,539949,6481,532,89120.27.712.4-1.12.361.982.9263.6772.2768.584,925,124
1963124,514,0002,331,505932,0551,399,45018.77.511.2-1.32.311.932.8764.1272.7869.055,134,100
1964125,744,0002,121,994901,7511,220,24316.97.29.7-1.72.191.882.6664.8973.5869.855,376,200
1965126,749,0001,990,520958,7891,031,73115.77.68.1-1.32.141.822.5864.3773.3369.445,463,300
1966127,608,0001,957,763974,299983,46415.37.67.7-1.82.131.852.5864.2973.5569.515,322,500
1967128,361,0001,851,0411,017,034834,00714.47.96.5-1.22.031.792.4664.0273.4369.305,005,000
1968129,037,0001,816,5091,040,096776,41314.18.16.0-1.21.981.752.4463.7373.5669.264,872,900
1969129,660,0001,847,5921,106,640740,95214.28.55.7-1.11.991.782.4463.0773.2968.744,751,100
1970130,252,0001,903,7131,131,183772,53014.68.75.9-0.72.001.772.5263.0773.4468.864,837,700
1971130,934,0001,974,6371,143,359831,27815.18.76.3-0.52.021.802.6063.2473.7769.124,838,749
1972131,687,0002,014,6381,181,802832,83615.39.06.3-0.62.031.812.5963.2473.6269.024,765,900
1973132,434,0001,994,6211,214,204780,41715.19.25.901.961.752.5563.2873.5669.004,747,037
1974133,217,0002,079,8121,222,495857,31715.69.26.40.22.001.782.6363.1273.7768.994,674,050
1975134,092,0002,106,1471,309,710796,43715.79.85.91.11.971.762.6462.4873.2368.354,670,700
1976135,026,0002,146,7111,352,950793,76115.910.05.91.21.961.742.6262.1973.0468.104,757,055
1977135,979,0002,156,7241,387,986768,73815.910.25.71.21.921.722.5861.8273.1967.974,686,063
1978136,922,0002,179,0301,417,377761,65315.910.45.60.51.901.702.5561.8373.2368.014,656,057
1979137,758,0002,178,5421,490,057688,48515.810.85.00.31.871.672.5461.4973.0267.734,544,040
1980138,483,0002,202,7791,525,755677,02415.911.04.90.41.871.682.5161.3872.9667.704,506,249
1981139,221,0002,236,6081,524,286712,32216.110.95.11.01.881.692.5561.6173.1867.924,400,676
1982140,067,4202,328,0441,504,200823,84416.610.75.91.21.961.762.6362.2473.6468.384,462,825
1983141,056,0002,478,3221,563,995914,32717.611.16.50.62.111.892.7662.1573.4168.154,317,729
1984142,061,0002,409,6141,650,866758,74817.011.65.31.52.061.862.6961.7172.9667.674,361,959
1985143,033,0002,375,1471,625,266749,88116.611.45.22.72.051.872.6862.7273.2368.334,552,443
1986144,156,0002,485,9151,497,975987,94017.210.46.91.02.181.982.8364.7774.2269.954,579,400
1987145,386,0002,499,9741,531,585968,38917.210.56.71.02.221.9743.18764.8374.2669.964,385,627
1988146,505,0002,348,4941,569,112779,38216.010.75.30.42.131.903.0664.6174.2569.814,608,953
1989147,342,0002,160,5591,583,743576,81614.710.73.90.42.011.832.6364.2074.5069.734,427,713
1990147,969,0001,988,8581,655,993332,86513.411.22.20.71.8921.6982.60063.7674.3269.364,103,425
1991148,394,0001,794,6261,690,657103,96912.111.40.70.31.7321.5312.44763.4174.2369.113,608,421
1992148,538,0001,587,6441,807,441-219,79710.712.2-1.51.71.5471.3512.21961.9673.7167.983,436,695
1993148,561,694 [46]1,378,9832,129,339-750,3569.314.3-5.13.71.3691.2001.94658.8071.8565.243,243,957
1994148,355,8671,408,1592,301,366-893,2079.515.5-6.06.71.3941.2381.91757.3871.0763.933,060,237
1995148,459,9371,363,8062,203,811-840,0059.214.9-5.74.61.3371.1931.81358.1171.6064.622,766,362
1996148,291,6381,304,6382,082,249-777,6118.814.1-5.23.41.2701.1401.70559.6172.4165.892,652,038
1997148,028,6131,259,9432,015,779-755,8368.513.6-5.13.61.2181.0971.62460.8472.8566.792,498,716
1998147,802,1331,283,2921,988,744-705,4528.713.5-4.83.01.2321.1091.64361.1973.1267.142,346,138
1999147,539,4261,214,6892,144,316-929,6278.314.6-6.31.91.1571.0451.53459.8672.4265.992,181,153
2000146,890,1281,266,8002,225,332-958,5328.615.2-6.52.51.1951.0891.55458.9972.2565.382,138,800
2001146,303,6111,311,6042,254,856-943,2529.015.4-6.52.01.2231.1241.56458.8872.1665.302,114,700
2002145,649,3341,396,9672,332,272-935,3059.616.1-6.41.71.2861.1891.63358.6871.9064.951,944,481
2003144,963,6501,477,3012,365,826-888,52510.216.4-6.11.81.3191.2231.66658.5371.8564.841,864,647
2004144,333,5861,502,4772,295,402-792,92510.415.9-5.51.81.3441.2531.65458.9172.3665.311,797,567
2005143,801,0461,457,3762,303,935-846,55910.216.1-5.92.01.2941.2071.57658.9272.4765.371,675,693
2006143,236,5821,479,6372,166,703-687,06610.315.1-4.82.21.3051.2101.60160.4373.3466.691,582,398
2007142,862,6921,610,1222,080,445-470,32311.314.6-3.32.51.4161.2941.79861.4674.0267.611,479,010
2008142,742,3681,713,9472,075,954-362,00712.014.5-2.62.51.5021.3721.91261.9274.2867.991,385,600
2009142,785,3441,761,6872,010,543-248,85612.314.1-1.72.41.5421.4151.94162.8774.7968.781,292,389
2010142,849,4721,788,9482,028,516-239,56812.514.2-1.71.91.5671.4391.98363.0974.8868.941,186,108
2011142,860,9081,796,6291,925,720-129,09112.613.5-0.92.21.5821.4422.05664.0475.6169.831,124,880
2012143,056,3831,902,0841,906,335-4,25113.313.30.02.01.6911.5412.21564.5675.8670.241,063,982
2013143,347,9591,895,8221,871,80924,01313.313.00.22.01.7071.5512.26465.1476.3170.771,012,399
2014[a]143,666,9311,942,6831,912,34730,33613.313.00.317.81.7501.5882.31865.2976.4970.93929,963
2015146,267,2881,940,5791,908,54132,03813.313.10.21.71.7771.6782.11165.9276.7171.39848,180
2016146,544,7101,888,7291,891,015-2,28612.912.90.01.81.7621.6722.05666.5077.0671.87836,611
2017146,804,3741,690,3071,826,125-135,81811.512.4-0.91.41.6211.5271.92367.5177.6472.70779,848
2018146,880,4321,604,3441,828,910-224,56610.912.5-1.60.91.5791.4891.87067.7577.8172.91661,045
2019146,780,7201,481,0741,798,307-317,23310.112.3-2.22.01.5041.4271.75468.2478.1773.34621,652
2020146,170,0151,436,5142,138,586-702,0729.814.6-4.80.91.5051.4331.73966.4976.4371.54553,500
2021145,557,5761,398,2532,441,594-1,043,3419.616.8-7.23.01.5051.4361.73465.5174.5170.06490,419
2022146,424,7291,304,0871,898,644-594,5578.913.0-4.110.41.4161.361.5967.6077.7972.76
2023146,325,5191,264,9381,760,172-495,2348.612.0-3.468.0478.7473.41

Current vital statistics

PeriodLive birthsDeathsNatural increase
January - February 2023199,295301,227-101,932
January - February 2024201,345331,083-129,738
Difference +2,050 (+1.03%) +29,856 (+9.91%) -27,806
Source:[18]

All numbers for the Russian Federation in this section do not include the Ukrainian regions of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk, which Russia annexed in September 2022 and which are currently partly under Russian military control. The annexation is internationally recognized only by North Korea.

Immigration

In 2006, in a bid to compensate for the country's demographic decline, the Russian government started simplifying immigration laws.[citation needed] New citizenship rules introduced in April 2014 allowing eligible citizens from former Soviet republics to obtain Russian citizenship, have gained strong interest among Russian-speaking residents of those countries (i.e. Russians, Germans, Belarusians and Ukrainians).[47][48]

There are an estimated four million undocumented immigrants from the ex-Soviet states in Russia.[49] In 2012, the Russian Federal Security Service's Border Service stated there had been an increase in undocumented migration from the Middle East and Southeast Asia (Note that these were Temporary Contract Migrants)[50] Under legal changes made in 2012, undocumented immigrants who are caught will be banned from reentering the country for 10 years.[51][52]

Since the collapse of the USSR, most immigrants have come from Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Belarus, from poor areas of China, and from Vietnam and Laos.[53]

Worker migration

Temporary migrant workers in Russia consists of about 7 million people. Most of the temporary workers come from Central Asia (mostly from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan), the South Caucasus (mostly from Armenia and Azerbaijan), and East Asia (mostly from poor areas of China, from Vietnam and Laos). Most of them work in the construction, cleaning and in the household industries. They primarily live in cities such as Moscow, Sochi and Blagoveshchensk. The mayor of Moscow said that Moscow cannot do without worker migrants. New laws are in place that require worker migrants to be fluent in Russian, know Russian history and laws.

Emigration

The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to considerable emigration, with over 300,000 Russian citizens and residents are estimated to have left Russia by mid-March 2022, at least 500,000 by the end of August 2022,[54] and an additional 400,000 by early October. The total number of political refugees, economic migrants, and conscientious objectors[55][56][57][58][59] is thought to be more than 900,000. In addition to evading criminal prosecution for opposing the invasion, and fear of being conscripted after President Vladimir Putin's 21 September 2022 announcement of partial mobilization, those fleeing voiced reasons such as disagreement with the war, the uselessness and cruelty of the war, sympathy for Ukraine, disagreement with the political roots of the war with Ukraine, the rejection of killing, and an assessment that Russia is no longer the place for their family.[60]

Occupied and annexed regions

Russia has encouraged or even forced people in occupied or annexed regions to become Russian citizens, a procedure known as passportization. This includes the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts of Ukraine,[61] and South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Georgia.[62]

Employment and income

Unemployment, youth ages 15–24
total: 12%. Country comparison to the world: 72nd
male: 15.3%
female: 16.9% (2015 est.)

Health

Metallurg, a Soviet-era sanatorium in Sochi[63]

Russia's constitution guarantees free, universal health care for all Russian citizens, through a compulsory state health insurance program.[64] The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation oversees the Russian public healthcare system, and the sector employs more than two million people. Federal regions also have their own departments of health that oversee local administration. A separate private health insurance plan is needed to access private healthcare in Russia.[65]

Russia spent 5.32% of its GDP on healthcare in 2018.[66] Its healthcare expenditure is notably lower than other developed nations.[67] Russia has one of the world's most female-biased sex ratios, with 0.859 males to every female,[12] due to its high male mortality rate.[68] In 2019, the overall life expectancy in Russia at birth was 73.2 years (68.2 years for males and 78.0 years for females),[69] and it had a very low infant mortality rate (5 per 1,000 live births).[70]

The principal causes of death in Russia are cardiovascular diseases.[71] Obesity is a prevalent health issue in Russia; 61.1% of Russian adults were overweight or obese in 2016.[72] However, Russia's historically high alcohol consumption rate is the biggest health issue in the country,[73][74] as it remains one of the world's highest, despite a stark decrease in the last decade.[75] Smoking is another health issue in the country.[76] The country's high suicide rate, although on the decline,[77] remains a significant social issue.[78]

COVID-19 pandemic

Russia had one of the highest number of confirmed cases in the world. Analysis of excess deaths from official government demographic statistics, based on births and deaths and excluding migration, showed that Russia had its biggest ever annual population drop in peacetime, with the population declining by 997,000 between October 2020 and September 2021, which demographer Alexei Raksha interpreted as being primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[24]

Ethnic groups

Ethnic groups in Russia
Ethnic groups in Russia of more than 1 million people in 2010
Percentage of ethnic Russians by region in 2021 (excluding non-stated ethnicity people)

Russia is a multinational state, with many subnational entities associated with different minorities.[15] There are over 193 ethnic groups nationwide. In the 2021 census, nearly 71.73% of the population identified as ethnic Russians, and while approximately 19% of the total population identified with various ethnic minority groups.[79][80] The percentage of total Russian population that did not publicly indicate any ethnic identity in the census increased from 3.94% in 2010 to 11.27% in 2021.[81]

According to the 2021 Russian census, the number of ethnic Russians decreased by nearly 5.43 million, from roughly 111 million people in 2010 to approximately 105.5 million in 2021.[82] In 2010, four-fifths of Russia's population originated from West of the Ural Mountains — of which the vast majority were Slavs,[83] with a substantial minority of Finno-Ugric and Germanic peoples.[84][85] Turkic peoples form a large minority, and are spread around pockets across the vast nation.[86] Various distinct ethnic groups also inhabit the North Caucasus.[87] Other minorities include Mongolian peoples (Buryats and Kalmyks),[88][89] the Indigenous peoples of Siberia,[90] a historical Jewish population,[91] and the Koryo-saram (including Sakhalin Koreans).[92]

According to the United Nations, Russia's immigrant population is the third-largest in the world, numbering over 11.6 million in 2016;[17] most of which are from post-Soviet states, mainly from Central Asia.[93] There are 22 republics in Russia, who have their own ethnicities, cultures, and languages. In 12 of them in 2021, ethnic Russians constitute a minority:

Ethnic Russian-minority regions in Russia in 2021
Republicethnic Russians (%)
 Bashkortostan37.5%
 Chechnya1.2%
 Chuvashia30.7%
 Dagestan3.3%
 Ingushetia0.7%
 Kabardino-Balkaria19.8%
 Kalmykia25.7%
 Karachay-Cherkessia27.5%
 North Ossetia–Alania18.9%
 Sakha (Yakutia)32.6%
 Tatarstan40.3%
 Tuva10.1%

Languages

Minority languages across Russia
Altaic and Uralic languages spoken across Russia

Russian is the official and the predominantly spoken language in Russia. It is the most spoken native language in Europe, the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, as well as the world's most widely spoken Slavic language.[96] Russian is the fifth-most used language on the Internet,[97] and is one of two official languages aboard the International Space Station,[98] as well as one of the six official languages of the United Nations.[96]

Russia is a multilingual nation; approximately 100–150 minority languages are spoken across the country.[99][100] According to the Russian Census of 2002, 142.6 million across the country spoke Russian, 5.3 million spoke Tatar, and 1.8 million spoke Ukrainian.[101] The constitution allows the country's individual republics the right to establish their own state languages in addition to Russian, as well as guarantee its citizens the right to preserve their native language and to create conditions for its study and development.[102] However, various experts have claimed Russia's linguistic diversity is rapidly declining.[103][104]

Religion

Religion in Russia (2012)[105]

  Unaffiliated Christians (4.1%)
  Other Christians[a] (0.5%)
  Atheists (13%)
  Muslims[b] (6.5%)
  Pagans[c] (1.3%)
  Buddhists (0.5%)
  Other religions[d] (1.1%)
  Undeclared (5.5%)
Annunciation Cathedral in Voronezh

Russia is a secular state by constitution, and its largest religion is Christianity. It has the world's largest Orthodox population.[106][107] As of different sociological surveys on religious adherence, between 41% and over 80% of the total population of Russia adhere to the Russian Orthodox Church.[108][109][110] Other branches of Christianity present in Russia include Catholicism (approx. 1%), Baptists, Pentecostals, Lutherans and other Protestant churches (together totalling about 0.5% of the population) and Old Believers.[111][112] There is some presence of Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism; pagan beliefs are also present to some extent in remote areas, sometimes syncretized with one of the mainstream religions.

In 2017, a survey made by the Pew Research Center showed that 73% of Russians declared themselves as Christians—out of which 71% were Orthodox, 1% were Catholic, and 2% were Other Christians, while 15% were unaffiliated, 10% were Muslims, and 1% followed other religions.[113] According to various reports, the proportion of Atheists in Russia is between 16% and 48% of the population.[114]

Islam is the second-largest religion in Russia, and it is the traditional religion amongst most peoples of the North Caucasus, and amongst some Turkic peoples scattered along the Volga-Ural region.[115] Buddhists have a sizable population in three Siberian republics: Buryatia, Tuva, and Zabaykalsky Krai, and in Kalmykia, the only region in Europe where Buddhism is the most practised religion.[116]

Education

Moscow State University, the most prestigious educational institution in Russia.[117]

Russia has an adult literacy rate of 100%.[118] It grants free education to its citizens under its constitution.[119] The Ministry of Education of Russia is responsible for primary and secondary education, as well as vocational education; while the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia is responsible for science and higher education.[120] Regional authorities regulate education within their jurisdictions within the prevailing framework of federal laws. Russia is among the world's most educated countries, and has the third-highest proportion of tertiary-level graduates in terms of percentage of population, at 62%.[121] It spent roughly 4.7% of its GDP on education in 2018.[122]

Russia has compulsory education for a duration of 11 years, exclusively for children aged 7 to 17–18.[120] Its pre-school education system is highly developed and optional,[123] some four-fifths of children aged 3 to 6 attend day nurseries or kindergartens. Primary school is compulsory for 11 years, starting from age 6 to 7, and leads to a basic general education certificate.[120] An additional two or three years of schooling are required for the secondary-level certificate, and some seven-eighths of Russians continue their education past this level. Admission to an institute of higher education is selective and highly competitive:[119] first-degree courses usually take five years.[124] The oldest and largest universities in Russia are Moscow State University and Saint Petersburg State University.[125] There are ten highly prestigious federal universities across the country. Russia was the world's fifth-leading destination for international students in 2019, hosting roughly 300,000.[126]

Urbanized areas

Russia is one of the world's most urbanized countries, with roughly 75% of its total population living in urban areas.[12] Moscow, the capital and largest city, has a population estimated at 12.4 million residents within the city limits,[127] while over 17 million residents in the urban area,[128] and over 20 million residents in the metropolitan area.[129] Moscow is among the world's largest cities, being the most populous city entirely within Europe, the most populous urban area in Europe,[128] the most populous metropolitan area in Europe,[129] and also the largest city by land area on the European continent.[130] Saint Petersburg, the cultural capital, is the second-largest city, with a population of roughly 5.4 million inhabitants.[131] Other major urban areas are Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and Chelyabinsk.

 
Largest cities or towns in Russia
2024 estimate[132]
RankNameFederal subjectPop.RankNameFederal subjectPop.
1MoscowMoscow13,149,80311Rostov-on-DonRostov Oblast1,140,487
2Saint PetersburgSaint Petersburg5,597,76312KrasnodarKrasnodar Krai1,138,654
3NovosibirskNovosibirsk Oblast1,633,85113OmskOmsk Oblast1,104,485
4YekaterinburgSverdlovsk Oblast1,536,18314VoronezhVoronezh Oblast1,046,425
5KazanTatarstan1,318,60415PermPerm Krai1,026,908
6KrasnoyarskKrasnoyarsk Krai1,205,47316VolgogradVolgograd Oblast1,018,898
7Nizhny NovgorodNizhny Novgorod Oblast1,204,98517SaratovSaratov Oblast887,365
8ChelyabinskChelyabinsk Oblast1,177,05818TyumenTyumen Oblast861,098
9UfaBashkortostan1,163,30419TolyattiSamara Oblast667,956
10SamaraSamara Oblast1,158,95220MakhachkalaDagestan622,091

See also

Census information:

Notes

References

Further reading

  • Gavrilova N.S., Gavrilov L.A. Aging Populations: Russia/Eastern Europe. In: P. Uhlenberg (Editor), International Handbook of the Demography of Aging, New York: Springer-Verlag, 2009, pp. 113–131.
  • Gavrilova N.S., Semyonova V.G., Dubrovina E., Evdokushkina G.N., Ivanova A.E., Gavrilov L.A. Russian Mortality Crisis and the Quality of Vital Statistics. Population Research and Policy Review, 2008, 27: 551–574.
  • Gavrilova, N.S., Gavrilov, L.A., Semyonova, V.G., Evdokushkina, G.N., Ivanova, A.E. 2005. Patterns of violent crime in Russia. In: Pridemore, W.A. (ed.). Ruling Russia: Law, Crime, and Justice in a Changing Society. Boulder, Colorado: Rowman & Littlefield Publ., Inc, 117–145
  • Gavrilova, N.S., Semyonova, V.G., Evdokushkina G.N., Gavrilov, L.A. The response of violent mortality to economic crisis in Russia. Population Research and Policy Review, 2000, 19: 397–419.
  • Kamenskii, Aleksander (2014). "Do we know the composition of the 18th century Russian society?". Cahier du MONDE RUSSE. 55 (1–2): 135–148. doi:10.4000/monderusse.7989. ISBN 9782713224409. ISSN 1777-5388.

External links