Population of Russia 2012

There are no official figures for the population of Russia in 2012, but the 2010 census, the results of which were released in late 2011 and early 2012, reports that the official population of Russia is 142,946,800.

The Census results are probably the most reliable indicator, but other estimates of the Russia population are available. Rosstat, the official Government statistics agency suggested that the population of Russia in 2011 was 141.8 million, and the CIA estimated that the population was even lower – 138.7 million.

It’s not possible to extrapolate from the 2010 census results the exact Russia population 2012, but it’s unlikely to be much different as, after a period of decline, population levels have begun to stabilise over the past couple of years. If anything, it’s likely that the population has increased very slightly since the census was undertaken (more on this later).

Russian Census 2010

Like most countries, Russia undertakes a census every decade or so. There is no fixed schedule, though, and until 2009 it was not certain that the 2010 census would even take place. It was only a late intervention from the Russian Government, allocating 10 billion roubles, that prevented it from being pushed back to 2013.

The full Russian census results are being released in sections throughout 2011 and 2012 – you can view them as and when they are released at the official Russian Census website (in Russian language).

For the headline figures, though, take a look at this Russian population infographic created by Russian news agency RIA Novosti.

Russian demographics

As you can see from the graphic, almost half of all Russians live in just two areas – the Central and Volga federal districts. The further east you go – to Siberia and beyond – the less dense the population is.

The graphic also demonstrates that Russia is a fairly ethnically diverse country. Although almost 81% of Russian citizens identify themselves as ethnic Russians, there are also other large ethnic groups. 3.9% of Russians are Tartars, 1.4% Ukrainians, 1.2% Bashkirs, 1.1% Chuvashs and 1.0% Chechens.

In total there are more than 170 different ethnic groups in Russia. Russia is the official language of the country and spoken by almost everyone. There are also 27 other official languages in Russia, and more than a hundred other languages that do not have official recognition. Some are close to extinction.

The Russian state religion is Orthodox Christianity. There is no official census data on religion, but a 2010 survey indicated that 73% of Russians were Orthodox Christians, 20% were non-religious, 6% were Muslims, and 1% were members of other religious groups.

Largest Russian Citiies

Moscow is the largest city in Russia with a population of 11.5 million people, which also makes it the sixth largest city in the world. Saint Petersburg is the second largest Russian city, with 4.8 million people, making it the 40th largest city in the world.

Russia is mostly an urban country – according to the census results, 74% of Russians live in urban areas – either towns or cities. Ten other Russian cities have a population of more than a million people. You can see the full list below.

Interestingly, the population of Russia’s cities has increased over the past ten years, reflecting the increasing urbanisation of Russia as people move from the countryside to cities in search of better employment.

Russian population decline

The Russian population has been steadily declining for almost two decades now. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the population of Russia was recorded at 148,538,000.

Over the next decade, the population decreased at a fairly steady rate of a half percent per year. The causes for this were twofold. Firstly the number of people dying increased due to a fall in living standards and, among men who were hit hardest, alcoholism. The average life expectancy for women held fairly steady at 75 years, but Russian male life expectancy dropped dramatically to 63 years.

Combined with this, birth rates fell sharply as well. From around 17 per 1,000 persons in the mid 1980s, the rate fell to below 10 per 1,000 in the mid-1990s – well below the rate needed to sustain a population. Economic uncertainty was a major factor in this, persuading people against having children.

Russian population increase

The Russian economy grew strongly during the first decade of the 20th century, and in 2009 the Russian population saw a small but significant increase. The increase was reported as between 15,000 and 25,000 people and was attributed to a falling death rate and increasing migration.

There are also indications that birth rates may be increasing slightly – probably due to a combination of increased confidence in Russia’s economic prospects and Government incentives to new mothers – especially a $10,000 payment which is made to mothers who have three or more children.