Demographics of Russia

Demographics of Russia
Population (in millions) 1950 – January 2013.
Population:	143,400,000 (Official Estimate - April 2013)
Growth rate:	0.23% (2012)
Birth rate:	13.3 births/1,000 population (2012)
Death rate:	13.3 deaths/1,000 population (2012)
Life expectancy:	70.3 years (2011)
–male:	64.3 years
–female:	76.1 years
Fertility rate:	1.7 children born/woman (2012)
Infant mortality rate:	7.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2011)
Net migration rate:	2.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011)population growth is growing.
Age structure
0-14 years:	16.5%
15-64 years:	69.7%
65-over:	13.8% (2012)
Sex ratio
Total:	0.86 male(s)/female (2009)
At birth:	1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15:	1.05 male(s)/female (male 10,806,895/female 10,285,532)
15-64 years:	0.92 male(s)/female (male 48,864,763/female 53,048,315)
65-over:	0.46 male(s)/female (male 5,969,976/female 12,928,498)
Nationality
Nationality:	noun: Russian(s) adjective: Russian
Major ethnic:	Russians
Language
Spoken:	Russian, others

The demographics of Russia is about the demographic features of the population of the Russian Federation, including population growth, population density, ethnic composition, education level, health, economic status and other aspects.

According to an official estimate for 1 April 2013, the population of Russia was 143,400,000. The population hit a historic peak at 148,689,000 in 1991, just before the breakup of the Soviet Union, but then began a decade-long decline, falling at a rate of about 0.5% per year due to declining birth rates, rising death rates and emigration. However, the decline began to slow considerably in recent years, and in 2009 Russia recorded a yearly population spike for the first time in 15 years, with a growth rate of 23,300.

In 2011, the population of Russia grew by 191,000 people, and reached a total of more than 143 million.

In 2012, Russia's population increased by 292,400 people.

According to the 2010 census, ethnic Russian people make up 81% of the total population, while six other ethnicities have a population exceeding 1 million – Tatars (3.9%), Ukrainians (1.4%), Bashkir (1.1%), Chuvash (1%), Chechens (1%) and Armenians (0.9%). In total, 160 different ethnic groups live within the Russian Federation's borders.

Almost six million people (about 4% of the overall population) did not declare any ethnic origin in the 2010 census, compared to about 1 million in the 2002 Census. This is due to the fact that those people were counted from administrative databases and not directly, and were therefore unable to state their ethnicity. Therefore, the percentages mentioned above are taken from the total population that declared their ethnicity, given that the non-declared remainder is thought to have an ethnic composition similar to the declared segment.

Russia's population density is 8.4 people per square kilometre (22 per square mile), making it one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. The population is most dense in the European part of the country, centering around Moscow and Saint Petersburg. 74% of the population is urban.

Main trends

Natural population growth of Russia since 1950.

  Birth rate

  Death rate

  Natural growth rate

The population of Russia peaked at 148,689,000 in 1991, just before the breakup of the Soviet Union. Low birth rates and abnormally high death rates caused Russia's population to decline at a 0.5% annual rate, or about 750,000 to 800,000 people per year from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s. The UN warned in 2005 that Russia's then population of about 143 million could fall by a third by 2050, if trends did not improve.

The Russian state statistics service Rosstat had more optimistic forecasts in 2009, whose Medium variant predicted that Russia's population would only fall to 139 million by 2030 (Low: 127 million; High: 147 million). Furthermore, in 2008 one demographic analyst (correctly) predicted a resumption in population growth by 2010, and of natural population growth by 2013.

The number of Russians living in poverty has decreased by 50% since the economic crisis following the disintegration of the Soviet Union, and the improving economy had a positive impact on the country's low birth rate. The latter rose from its lowest point of 8.27 births per 1000 people in 1999 to 12.6 per 1000 in 2010. Likewise, the fertility rate rose from its lowest point of 1.16 in 1999 to 1.54 in 2009. 2007 marked the highest growth in birth rates that the country had seen in 25 years, and 2009 marked the highest total birth rate since 1991.

While the Russian birth rate is comparable to that of other developed countries, its death rate is much higher, especially among working-age males due to a comparatively high rate of fatalities caused by heart disease and other external causes such as accidents. The Russian death rate in 2010 was 14.3 per 1000 citizens. For comparison, the US death rate in 2009 was 8.4 per 1000 .

Demographic crisis

Further information: Russian Cross

The causes for this sharp increase in mortality are widely debated. According to a 2009 report by The Lancet, a British medical journal, mass privatization, an element of the economic-reform package nicknamed shock therapy, clearly correlates with higher mortality rates. The report argues that advocates of economic reforms ignored the human cost of the policies they were promoting, such as unemployment and human suffering, leading to an early death. These conclusions were criticized by The Economist. A WHO press-release in 2000, on the other hand, reported widespread alcohol abuse in Russia being used as the most common explanation of higher men's mortality.

A 2009 study blamed alcohol for more than half the deaths (52%) among Russians aged 15 to 54 from 1990 to 2001. For the same demographic, this compares to 4% of deaths for the rest of the world.

According to the Russian demographic publication Demoscope, the rising male death rate was a long-term trend from 1960 to 2005. The only significant reversion of the trend was caused by Mikhail Gorbachev's anti-alcohol campaign, but its effect was only temporary. According to the publication, the sharp rise of death rates in the early 1990s was caused by the exhaustion of the effect of the anti-alcohol campaign, while the market reforms were only of secondary importance. The authors also claimed the Lancet's study is flawed because it used the 1985 death rate as the base, while that was in fact the very maximum of the effect of the anti-alcohol campaign.

Other factors contributing to the collapse, along with the economic problems, include the dying off of a relatively large cohort of people born between 1925 and 1940 (between the Russian Civil War and World War II), when Russian birth rates were very high, along with, ironically enough, an "echo boom" in the 1980s that may have satisfied the demand of women for children, leading to a subsequent drop in birth rates.

In 2006, the Minister of Health Mikhail Zurabov and Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee for Health Protection Nikolai Gerasimenko proposed reinstating the Soviet-era tax on childlessness, which ended in 1992. So far, it has not been reinstated.

Government measures to halt the demographic crisis was a key subject of Vladimir Putin's 2006 state of the nation address. As a result, a national programme was developed with the goal to reverse the trend by 2020. Soon after, a study published in 2007 showed that the rate of population decrease had begun to slow: if the net decrease from January to August 2006 was 408,200 people, it was 196,600 in the same period in 2007. The death rate accounted for 357,000 of these, which is 137,000 less than in 2006.

At the same time period in 2007, there were just over one million births in Russia (981,600 in 2006), whilst deaths decreased from 1,475,000 to 1,402,300. In all, the number of deaths exceeded the number of births by 1.3 times, down from 1.5 in 2006. 18 of the 83 provinces showed a natural growth of population (in 2006: 16). The Russian Ministry of Economic Development expressed hope that by 2020 the population would stabilize at 138–139 million, and by 2025, to increase again to its present day status of 143–145, also raising the life expectancy to 75 years.

The natural population decline continued to slow through 2008—2012 due to declining death rates and increasing birth rates. In 2009 the population saw yearly growth for the first time in 15 years. In September 2009, the Ministry of Health and Social Development reported that Russia recorded natural population growth for the first time in 15 years, with 1,000 more births than deaths in August. In April 2011 the Russian Prime Minister (Russian president as of 2012) Vladimir Putin pledged to spend the 1.5 trillion rubles (£32.5 billion or $54 billion) on various measures to boost Russia's declining birthrate by 30 per cent in the next four years.

Population statistics

Population pyramid of Russia as of 1 January 2010. "Waves" are caused by huge losses in the WWII. The sharp narrowing in the base of pyramid is caused by consequenses of economic reforms of 1990s.

Population density

8.4 people per square kilometer (2010 Russian Census)

Population distribution

74% urban, 26% rural (2010 Russian Census)

Population growth rate

0.23% (2012)

Median age

total: 39.3 years
male: 36.5 years
female: 41.8 years (2009)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.46 male(s)/female
total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2009)

Natural increase current

Natural population growth rates (per 1,000 population) by Federal subject in 2012.

Birth rate by regions in 2012.

Death rate by regions in 2012.

The number of births during the month of March 2013 decreased to 11261 comparative to March 2012.

-Number of births during March 2012 = 157,323

-Number of births during March 2013 = 146,062

-The birth rate for January–March 2013 was 12.7 births per 1,000 population versus 12.7 during the same period in 2012.

-Number of births from January–March 2012 = 451,657

-Number of births from January–March 2013 = 447,965

The number of deaths during the same period decreased 1207 during this same month.

-Number of deaths during March 2012 = 162,426

-Number of deaths during March 2013 = 161,219

-The death rate for January–March 2013 was 13.9 per 1,000 population, versus 13,7 during the same period in 2012.

-Number of deaths from January–March 2012 = 486,607

-Number of deaths from January–March 2013 = 490,534

Total natural increase during January–March 2013 has halved during the same period from a decrease of 1.2 in 1000 against a increase to -1.0 in 1000 during the period January–March 2012.

Natural increase between January–March 2012 = - 34,950

Natural increase between January–March 2013 = - 42,569

Natural increase in March 2012 = - 5103

Natural increase in March 2013 = - 15,157

January–March 2013	Birth/2013	Birth/2012	Death/2013	Death/2012
North Caucasian Federal District	16,9	16,9	8,6	9,0
Chechnya	25,8	26,9	5,6	5,7
Ingushetia	21,6	22,5	3,7	3,6
Dagestan	18,0	18,2	5,7	5,8
North Ossetia-Alania	15,6	14,6	11,4	12,1
Kabardino-Balkaria	14,9	15,0	9,2	10,0
Karachay-Cherkessia	13,7	12,5	10,1	11,1
Stavropol Krai	12,2	11,8	12,6	13,1
Ural Federal District	14,4	14,5	13,0	12,9
Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug	16,7	16,8	6,4	6,5
Tyumen Oblast	16,3	16,4	8,6	8,7
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug	15,9	15,9	5,5	5,4
Sverdlovsk Oblast	13,8	13,7	14,5	14,2
Kurgan Oblast	13,7	13,7	17,4	16,4
Chelyabinsk Oblast	13,6	13,9	14,5	14,7
Siberian Federal District	14,2	14,4	14,1	13,8
Tuva	25,5	27,1	11,5	10,7
Altai Republic	20,0	22,5	12,8	11,9
Buriatia	16,5	16,8	12,1	12,8
Khakassia	15,5	15,7	13,5	14,1
Zabaykalsky Krai	15,3	15,3	13,2	13,6
Irkutsk Oblast	15,3	15,3	14,6	14,0
Omsk Oblast	14,3	14,3	14,5	13,6
Krasnoyarsk Oblast	13,7	13,9	13,6	13,1
Novosibirsk Oblast	13,5	13,4	14,2	13,4
Altai Krai	13,1	13,0	14,6	15,0
Kemerovo Oblast	13,1	13,3	15,4	15,3
Tomsk Oblast	12,6	12,6	12,5	11,8
Far East Federal District	13,4	13,3	13,4	13,6
Sakha Republic	16,8	16,6	9,1	9,7
Amur Oblast	13,6	14,2	14,3	15,8
Khabarovsk Krai	13,6	12,8	14,3	14,2
Jewish Autonomous Oblast	13,2	13,1	15,6	16,2
Kamchatka Krai	12,5	12,3	12,0	11,7
Primorsky Krai	12,3	12,2	14,4	14,3
Magadan Oblast	12,2	11,6	12,3	12,6
Sakhalin Oblast	12,1	12,1	13,7	14,2
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug	10,8	14,3	10,0	11,9
Volga Federal District	12,7	12,7	14,8	14,0
Orenburg Oblast	14,6	14,5	14,9	14,1
Udmurtia	14,2	15,0	13,6	12,9
Perm Krai	14,1	14,4	15,3	14,4
Tatarstan	14,1	13,7	12,5	12,2
Bashkortostan	13,9	14,1	13,7	13,0
Mari El	13,9	14,0	13,9	13,7
Chuvashia Republic	13,4	13,2	13,6	13,2
Kirov Oblast	12,3	12,2	17,2	15,3
Samara Oblast	11,9	11,6	15,1	13,9
Nizhny Novgorod Oblast	11,2	11,4	17,0	16,3
Ulyanovsk Oblast	10,9	10,7	15,5	15,0
Saratov Oblast	10,8	10,9	15,2	14,4
Penza Oblast	10,2	10,2	16,0	15,4
Mordovia	9,7	9,8	15,5	14,3
Southern Federal District	12,0	11,9	14,0	14,3
Astrakhan Oblast	14,4	14,5	12,9	13,3
Kalmukia	14,1	14,6	10,3	10,7
Adygea	12,7	12,5	13,9	14,5
Krasnodar Krai	12,4	12,4	13,7	14,2
Volgograd Oblast	11,2	11,1	14,3	14,0
Rostov Oblast	11,1	10,9	14,7	14,9
North-West Federal District	11,6	11,5	14,5	14,2
Nenets Autonomous Okrug	15,7	14,8	10,8	10,2
Komi Republic	14,1	13,7	12,6	12,4
Vologda Oblast	13,2	13,5	15,7	15,1
Kaliningrad Oblast	12,6	11,6	14,0	13,9
Arkhangelsk Oblast	12,0	12,1	14,5	14,2
St-Petersburg	12,0	11,7	13,2	13,0
Republic of Karelia	11,6	12,0	15,7	15,7
Murmansk Oblast	11,3	11,4	11,8	11,6
Novgorod Oblast	10,7	10,7	18,9	18,2
Pskov Oblast	10,2	10,8	20,5	20,1
Leningrad Oblast	8,4	8,5	15,3	14,5
Central Federal District	10,8	10,8	14,5	14,4
Kostroma Oblast	12,2	12,7	17,6	17,0
Kursk Oblast	11,5	11,4	16,8	17,1
Yaroslavl Oblast	11,4	11,4	17,2	16,2
Moscow Oblast	11,2	11,1	14,5	14,4
Tver Oblast	11,2	11,0	19,5	18,6
Kaluga Oblast	11,1	11,5	16,0	15,9
Belgorod Oblast	11,1	11,1	14,7	14,6
Lipetsk Oblast	11,1	10,7	15,9	15,8
City of Moscow	10,7	10,8	10,4	10,4
Vladimir Oblast	10,6	11,3	17,4	17,0
Oryol Oblast	10,4	10,9	17,1	17,0
Ivanovo Oblast	10,4	10,7	17,3	17,2
Voronezh Oblast	10,4	10,2	16,5	16,1
Ryazan Oblast	10,4	10,2	16,7	16,8
Bryansk Oblast	10,3	11,3	17,0	16,8
Smolensk Oblast	10,0	10,1	17,9	17,0
Tula Oblast	9,6	9,6	18,2	18,3
Tambov Oblast	9,1	9,4	17,2	17,1

Natural increase 2012

January–December 2012	Birth/2012	Birth/2011	Death/2012	Death/2011
North Caucasian Federal District	17,4	17,3	8,2	8,4
Chechnya	25,9	28,9	5,4	5,3
Ingushetia	22,6	25,9	3,7	4,1
Dagestan	19,0	18,1	5,6	5,6
Kabardino-Balkaria	15,9	14,9	8,9	9,4
North Ossetia-Alania	15,0	14,5	10,6	10,8
Karachay-Cherkessia	13,5	13,1	9,7	9,7
Stavropol Krai	12,5	11,8	12,0	12,3
Ural Federal District	15,1	14,2	12,6	12,7
Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug	17,6	16,4	6,3	6,5
Tyumen Oblast	17,2	16,1	8,4	8,6
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug	16,7	15,6	5,3	5,4
Chelyabinsk Oblast	14,3	13,6	14,2	14,2
Sverdlovsk Oblast	14,3	13,5	13,9	14,1
Kurgan Oblast	13,8	12,7	15,9	15,7
Siberian Federal District	14,9	14,1	13,6	13,8
Tuva	26,5	27,1	11,1	10,9
Altai Republic	22,4	22,5	11,4	12,2
Buriatia	17,4	16,9	12,4	12,6
Zabaykalsky Krai	16,1	15,4	13,0	13,2
Khakassia	16,0	15,1	13,3	13,5
Irkutsk Oblast	15,9	15,3	13,8	14,0
Omsk Oblast	14,9	13,5	13,8	13,5
Krasnoyarsk Oblast	14,5	13,5	12,9	13,1
Novosibirsk Oblast	13,9	13,1	13,6	13,6
Kemerovo Oblast	13,7	12,7	15,1	15,5
Tomsk Oblast	13,6	13,1	11,9	12,2
Altai Krai	13,6	12,7	14,6	14,6
Far East Federal District	13,9	13,2	13,0	13,4
Sakha Republic	17,6	17,1	9,3	9,3
Amur Oblast	14,3	13,5	14,7	14,7
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug	14,1	13,7	11,5	11,1
Jewish Autonomous Oblast	14,0	14,1	15,1	15,3
Khabarovsk Krai	13,6	12,9	13,5	14,6
Kamchatka Krai	13,0	12,4	11,5	12,0
Sakhalin Oblast	12,8	11,8	13,8	14,1
Primorsky Krai	12,6	11,9	13,7	14,1
Magadan Oblast	12,4	11,5	12,6	12,9
Volga Federal District	13,2	12,4	13,9	14,4
Udmurtia	15,2	14,3	12,8	13,4
Perm Krai	14,8	14,0	14,2	14,7
Orenburg Oblast	14,7	13,8	13,9	14,3
Bashkortostan	14,5	13,7	13,1	13,4
Tatarstan	14,5	13,4	12,2	12,4
Mari El	14,2	13,0	13,6	14,1
Chuvashia Republic	14,0	12,9	13,3	13,5
Kirov Oblast	12,7	11,8	15,5	15,8
Samara Oblast	12,1	11,5	13,9	14,4
Nizhny Novgorod Oblast	11,8	11,0	16,0	16,4
Ulyanovsk Oblast	11,3	10,8	14,1	14,8
Saratov Oblast	11,3	10,7	14,2	14,5
Penza Oblast	10,8	10,1	14,9	15,2
Mordovia	9,9	9,5	14,4	14,8
Southern Federal District	12,6	11,8	13,4	13,7
Astrakhan Oblast	15,1	14,2	12,6	13,0
Kalmukia	14,8	14,5	10,0	10,1
Krasnodar Krai	13,1	12,2	13,1	13,6
Adygea	12,8	12,5	13,4	13,8
Volgograd Oblast	11,7	11,1	13,5	13,8
Rostov Oblast	11,7	10,9	14,0	14,2
North-West Federal District	12,2	11,5	13,8	14,0
Nenets Autonomous Okrug	17,4	15,0	10,2	10,4
Komi Republic	13,9	13,0	12,1	12,3
Vologda Oblast	13,9	12,9	15,0	15,7
Arkhangelsk Oblast	12,8	12,2	13,5	13,8
St-Petersburg	12,6	11,7	12,5	12,7
Republic of Karelia	12,5	12,0	15,3	14,7
Kaliningrad Oblast	12,4	11,8	13,2	13,3
Novgorod Oblast	11,9	11,5	17,9	18,4
Murmansk Oblast	11,7	11,4	11,2	11,5
Pskov Oblast	11,0	10,5	19,5	19,4
Leningrad Oblast	9,0	8,7	14,7	14,8
Central Federal District	11,4	10,8	13,9	14,0
Kostroma Oblast	12,8	12,2	16,0	16,6
Moscow Oblast	12,0	11,2	14,4	14,4
Kursk Oblast	11,9	11,6	16,6	16,8
Yaroslavl Oblast	11,9	11,2	15,9	15,8
Kaluga Oblast	11,8	10,9	15,7	15,4
Belgorod Oblast	11,7	11,0	14,0	14,0
Tver Oblast	11,6	11,0	18,2	18,7
Lipetsk Oblast	11,6	10,7	15,3	15,2
Vladimir Oblast	11,5	10,9	16,6	17,1
Bryansk Oblast	11,4	10,9	16,1	16,1
City of Moscow	11,3	10,7	9,9	9,7
Oryol Oblast	11,1	10,5	16,2	16,3
Ivanovo Oblast	11,0	10,4	16,8	16,9
Voronezh Oblast	10,9	10,2	15,6	15,9
Ryazan Oblast	10,8	10,3	16,3	16,5
Smolensk Oblast	10,5	10,4	16,7	16,8
Tula Oblast	10,1	9,4	17,7	17,7
Tambov Oblast	9,6	9,3	16,1	16,4

Net migration rate

2.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011)

Vital statistics

Before WWII

See also: Demography of the Soviet Union

No exact vital statistics for Russia are available for the period before WWII. Andreev made the following estimates:

	Average population	Live births	Deaths	Natural change	Crude birth rate (per 1,000)	Crude death rate (per 1,000)	Natural change (per 1,000)	Fertility rates	Life Expectancy (male)	Life Expectancy (female)
1927	94,596,000	4,688,000	2,705,000	1,983,000	49.6	28.6	21.0	6.729	33.7	37.9
1928	96,654,000	4,723,000	2,589,000	2,134,000	48.9	26.8	22.1	6.556	35.9	40.4
1929	98,644,000	4,633,000	2,819,000	1,814,000	47.0	28.6	18.4	6.227	33.7	38.2
1930	100,419,000	4,413,000	2,738,000	1,675,000	43.9	27.3	16.7	5.834	34.6	38.7
1931	101,948,000	4,412,000	3,090,000	1,322,000	43.3	30.3	13.0	5.626	30.7	35.5
1932	103,136,000	4,058,000	3,077,000	981,000	39.3	29.8	9.5	5.093	30.5	35.7
1933	102,706,000	3,313,000	5,239,000	-1,926,000	32.3	51.0	-18.8	4.146	15.2	19.5
1934	102,922,000	2,923,000	2,659,000	264,000	28.7	26.1	2.6	3.566	30.5	35.7
1935	102,684,000	3,577,000	2,421,000	1,156,000	34.8	23.6	11.3	4.305	33.1	38.4
1936	103,904,000	3,899,000	2,719,000	1,180,000	37.5	26.2	11.4	4.535	30.4	35.7
1937	105,358,000	4,377,000	2,760,000	1,617,000	41.5	26.2	15.3	5.079	30.5	40.0
1938	107,044,000	4,379,000	2,739,000	1,640,000	40.9	25.6	15.3	4.989	31.7	42.5
1939	108,785,000	4,329,000	2,600,000	1,729,000	39.8	23.9	15.9	4.907	34.9	42.6
1940	110,333,000	3,814,000	2,561,000	1,253,000	34.6	23.2	11.4	4.260	35.7	41.9

After WWII

	Average population	Live births	Deaths	Natural change	Crude birth rate (per 1,000)	Crude death rate (per 1,000)	Natural change (per 1,000)	Fertility rates	Urban fertility	Rural fertility	Life Expectancy (male)	Life Expectancy (female)	Life Expectancy (total)	Abortions reported
1946	98,028,000	2,546,000	1,210,000	1,336,000	26.0	12.3	13.6	2.806			46.6	55.3
1947	98,834,000	2,715,000	1,680,000	1,035,000	27.5	17.0	10.5	2.938			39.9	49.8
1948	99,706,000	2,516,000	1,310,000	1,206,000	25.2	13.1	12.1	2.604			47.0	56.0
1949	101,160,000	3,089,000	1,187,000	1,902,000	30.5	11.7	18.8	3.205			51.0	59.8
1950	102,833,000	2,859,000	1,180,000	1,679,000	27.8	11.5	16.7	2.889			52.3	61.0
1951	104,439,000	2,938,000	1,210,000	1,728,000	28.1	11.6	17.0	2.918			52.3	60.6
1952	106,164,000	2,928,000	1,138,000	1,790,000	27.6	10.7	17.0	2.871			54.6	62.9
1953	107,828,000	2,822,000	1,118,000	1,704,000	26.2	10.4	15.7	2.733			55.5	63.9
1954	109,643,000	3,048,000	1,133,000	1,915,000	27.8	10.3	17.6	2.970			55.9	64.1
1955	111,572,000	2,942,000	1,037,000	1,905,000	26.4	9.3	17.2	2.818			58.3	66.6
1956	113,327,000	2,827,000	956,000	1,871,000	24.9	8.4	16.8	2.731			60.1	68.8
1957	115,035,000	2,880,000	1,017,000	1,863,000	25.0	8.8	16.7	2.750			59.7	68.4		3,407,398
1958	116,749,000	2,861,000	931,000	1,930,000	24.5	8.0	17.0	2.689			61.8	70.4		3,939,362
1959	118,307,000	2,796,228	920,225	1,876,003	23.6	7.8	15.9	2.58	2.03	3.34	62.84	71.14	67.65	4,174,111
1960	119,906,000	2,782,353	886,090	1,896,263	23.2	7.4	15.8	2.56	2.06	3.26	63.67	72.31	68.67	4,373,042
1961	121,586,000	2,662,135	901,637	1,760,498	21.9	7.4	14.5	2.47	2.04	3.08	63.91	72.63	68.92	4,759,040
1962	123,128,000	2,482,539	949,648	1,532,891	20.2	7.7	12.4	2.36	1.98	2.92	63.67	72.27	68.58	4,925,124
1963	124,514,000	2,331,505	932,055	1,399,450	18.7	7.5	11.2	2.31	1.93	2.87	64.12	72.78	69.05	5,134,100
1964	125,744,000	2,121,994	901,751	1,220,243	16.9	7.2	9.7	2.19	1.88	2.66	64.89	73.58	69.85	5,376,200
1965	126,749,000	1,990,520	958,789	1,031,731	15.7	7.6	8.1	2.14	1.82	2.58	64.37	73.33	69.44	5,463,300
1966	127,608,000	1,957,763	974,299	983,464	15.3	7.6	7.7	2.13	1.85	2.58	64.29	73.55	69.51	5,322,500
1967	128,361,000	1,851,041	1,017,034	834,007	14.4	7.9	6.5	2.03	1.79	2.46	64.02	73.43	69.30	5,005,000
1968	129,037,000	1,816,509	1,040,096	776,413	14.1	8.1	6.0	1.98	1.75	2.44	63.73	73.56	69.26	4,872,900
1969	129,660,000	1,847,592	1,106,640	740,952	14.2	8.5	5.7	1.99	1.78	2.44	63.07	73.29	68.74	4,751,100
1970	130,252,000	1,903,713	1,131,183	772,530	14.6	8.7	5.9	2.00	1.77	2.52	63.07	73.44	68.86	4,837,700
1971	130,934,000	1,974,637	1,143,359	831,278	15.1	8.7	6.3	2.02	1.80	2.60	63.24	73.77	69.12	4,838,749
1972	131,687,000	2,014,638	1,181,802	832,836	15.3	9.0	6.3	2.03	1.81	2.59	63.24	73.62	69.02	4,765,900
1973	132,434,000	1,994,621	1,214,204	780,417	15.1	9.2	5.9	1.96	1.75	2.55	63.28	73.56	69.00	4,747,037
1974	133,217,000	2,079,812	1,222,495	857,317	15.6	9.2	6.4	2.00	1.78	2.63	63.12	73.77	68.99	4,674,050
1975	134,092,000	2,106,147	1,309,710	796,437	15.7	9.8	5.9	1.97	1.76	2.64	62.48	73.23	68.35	4,670,700
1976	135,026,000	2,146,711	1,352,950	793,761	15.9	10.0	5.9	1.96	1.74	2.62	62.19	73.04	68.10	4,757,055
1977	135,979,000	2,156,724	1,387,986	768,738	15.9	10.2	5.7	1.92	1.72	2.58	61.82	73.19	67.97	4,686,063
1978	136,922,000	2,179,030	1,417,377	761,653	15.9	10.4	5.6	1.90	1.70	2.55	61.83	73.23	68.01	4,656,057
1979	137,758,000	2,178,542	1,490,057	688,485	15.8	10.8	5.0	1.87	1.67	2.54	61.49	73.02	67.73	4,544,040
1980	138,483,000	2,202,779	1,525,755	677,024	15.9	11.0	4.9	1.87	1.68	2.51	61.38	72.96	67.70	4,506,249
1981	139,221,000	2,236,608	1,524,286	712,322	16.1	10.9	5.1	1.88	1.69	2.55	61.61	73.18	67.92	4,400,676
1982	140,067,000	2,328,044	1,504,200	823,844	16.6	10.7	5.9	1.96	1.76	2.63	62.24	73.64	68.38	4,462,825
1983	141,056,000	2,478,322	1,563,995	914,327	17.6	11.1	6.5	2.11	1.89	2.76	62.15	73.41	68.15	4,317,729
1984	142,061,000	2,409,614	1,650,866	758,748	17.0	11.6	5.3	2.06	1.86	2.69	61.71	72.96	67.67	4,361,959
1985	143,033,000	2,375,147	1,625,266	749,881	16.6	11.4	5.2	2.05	1.87	2.68	62.72	73.23	68.33	4,552,443
1986	144,156,000	2,485,915	1,497,975	987,940	17.2	10.4	6.9	2.18	1.98	2.83	64.77	74.22	69.95	4,579,400
1987	145,386,000	2,499,974	1,531,585	968,389	17.2	10.5	6.7	2.23	2.04	2.88	64.83	74.26	69.96	4,385,627
1988	146,505,000	2,348,494	1,569,112	779,382	16.0	10.7	5.3	2.12	1.96	2.80	64.61	74.25	69.81	4,608,953
1989	147,342,000	2,160,559	1,583,743	576,816	14.7	10.7	3.9	2.01	1.83	2.75	64.20	74.50	69.73	4,427,713
1990	147,969,000	1,988,858	1,655,993	332,865	13.4	11.2	2.3	1.888	1.70	2.60	63.76	74.32	69.36	4,103,425
1991	148,394,000	1,794,626	1,690,657	103,969	12.1	11.4	0.7	1.733	1.53	2.45	63.41	74.23	69.11	3,608,421
1992	148,538,000	1,587,644	1,807,441	-219,797	10.7	12.2	-1.5	1.552	1.35	2.22	61.96	73.71	67.98	4,436,695
1993	148,459,000	1,378,983	2,129,339	-750,356	9.3	14.3	-5.1	1.386	1.20	1.95	58.80	71.85	65.24	3,243,957
1994	148,408,000	1,408,159	2,301,366	-893,207	9.5	15.5	-6.0	1.385	1.24	1.92	57.38	71.07	63.93	3,060,237
1995	148,376,000	1,363,806	2,203,811	-840,005	9.2	14.9	-5.7	1.345	1.19	1.82	58.11	71.60	64.62	2,766,362
1996	148,160,000	1,304,638	2,082,249	-777,611	8.8	14.1	-5.2	1.281	1.14	1.71	59.61	72.41	65.89	2,652,038
1997	147,915,000	1,259,943	2,015,779	-755,836	8.5	13.6	-5.1	1.230	1.10	1.62	60.84	72.85	66.79	2,498,716
1998	147,671,000	1,283,292	1,988,744	-705,452	8.7	13.5	-4.8	1.240	1.11	1.64	61.19	73.12	67.14	2,346,138
1999	147,215,000	1,214,689	2,144,316	-929,627	8.3	14.6	-6.3	1.171	1.04	1.53	59.86	72.42	65.99	2,181,153
2000	146,597,000	1,266,800	2,225,332	-958,532	8.6	15.2	-6.5	1.195	1.09	1.55	58.99	72.25	65.38	2,138,800
2001	145,976,000	1,311,604	2,254,856	-943,252	9.0	15.4	-6.5	1.223	1.12	1.56	58.88	72.16	65.30	2,114,700
2002	145,306,496	1,396,967	2,332,272	-935,305	9.6	16.1	-6.4	1.281	1.19	1.63	58.7	71.9	65.0	1,944,481
2003	144,648,624	1,477,301	2,365,826	-888,525	10.2	16.4	-6.1	1.319	1.22	1.67	58.6	71.8	64.9	1,864,647
2004	144,067,312	1,502,477	2,295,402	-792,925	10.4	15.9	-5.5	1.340	1.25	1.65	58.9	72.3	65.3	1,797,567
2005	143,518,816	1,457,376	2,303,935	-846,559	10.2	16.1	-5.9	1.287	1.21	1.58	58.9	72.4	65.3	1,675,693
2006	143,049,632	1,479,637	2,166,703	-687,066	10.3	15.1	-4.8	1.296	1.21	1.60	60.4	73.2	66.6	1,582,398
2007	142,805,120	1,610,122	2,080,445	-470,323	11.3	14.6	-3.3	1.406	1.29	1.80	61.4	73.9	67.5	1,479,010
2008	142,742,368	1,713,947	2,075,954	-362,007	12.0	14.5	-2.6	1.494	1.37	1.91	61.8	74.2	67.9	1,385,600
2009	142,785,344	1,761,687	2,010,543	-248,856	12.3	14.1	-1.8	1.537	1.42	1.94	62.8	74.7	68.7	1,292,389
2010	142,849,472	1,789,623	2,030,963	-241,340	12.5	14.2	-1.7	1.590	1.44	1.98	63.1	74.9	68.9	1,186,108
2011	142,960,908	1,793,828	1,925,036	-131,208	12.6	13.5	-0.9	1.582	1.44	2.06	64.3	76.1	70.3	1,124,880
2012	143,213,095	1,896,263	1,898,836	-2,573	13.3	13.3	-0.0	1.70						1,070,980

Final 2012 statistics:

Total fertility rates

Changes in the Russian TFR since 1990.

As of 2013, Russian TFR of 1,7 children per woman is the highest in the Eastern Europe, which means an average Russian family has more children (1,7) than an average family in any other Eastern European country. Still, this rate is far below the replacement rate of 2,1 - 2.14.

In 1990, just prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia's total fertility rate (TFR) stood at 1.89. Fertility rates had already begun to decline in the late 80s due to the natural progression of Russia's demographic structure, but the rapid and widely negative changes in society following the collapse greatly influenced the rate of decline. The TFR hit an historic low of 1.16 in 1999 and has since begun to rise again, reaching 1.59 in 2010 (growth of 37%). The only federal subject of Russia to see a decline in fertility since 1999 is Ingushetia, where the TFR has fallen by 20% from 2.44 to 1.97 as of 2009. However, TFR for Ingushetia for the year 2011 was recorded at 2.94.

In 2009, 8 of Russia's federal subjects had a TFR above 2.1 children per woman (the approximate minimum required to ensure population replacement). These federal subjects are Chechnya (3.38), Tyva (2.81), Ust-Orda Buryat Okrug (2.73), Agin-Buryat Okrug (2.63), Komi-Permyak (2.16), Evenk Okrug (2.58), Altai Republic (2.36), Nenets Autonomous Okrug (2.1). Of these federal subjects, four have an ethnic Russian majority (Altai, Evenk, Ust-Orda and Nenets). In 2011, the highest TFR were recorded in Chechnya (3.362), Tyva (3.249), Ingushetia (2.94), Altai Republic (2.836), Sakha Republic (2.057), Buryatia (2.027), and Nenets Autonomous Okrug (2.007).

Until 2010, the Russian republic of Chechenya was the region with the highest birth rate in the former USSR (excluding Central Asia). However in 2011, the Armenian province of Qashatagh overtook it (28.9 vs 29.3 per 1,000).

In 2010, The average number of children born to women has decreased from 1513 to 1000 women from 2002 to 1469 in 2010 in urban areas the figure was 1328 children (2002 - 1350), and in the village - 1876 (in 2002. - 1993 ).

A poster in Cheboksary, Chuvashia encouraging families to have more children. Text reads "Один ребёнок - хорошо, два лучше!" One child is good, two are better!.

In recent years the percentage of children per woman 16 years or more were:

Year : 2002-2010

1 child : 30.5%-31.2%

2 children : 33.7%-34.4%

3 children : 8.9%-8.7%

4 or more children : 5.2%-4.2%

no children : 21.7%-21.5%

Note that despite a decrease in women who have not had children, the number of three-child and large families has declined between 2002 and 2010.

In every region in Russia rural areas reported higher TFR compared to urban areas. In most of the federal subjects in Siberia and the Russian Far East, the total fertility rates were high, but not high enough to ensure population replacement. For example, Zabaykalsky Krai had a TFR of 1.82, which is higher than the national average, but less than the 2.1 needed for population replacement.

Compared to other G8 countries, in 2011, Russian TFR of 1.61 children/ woman was lower than that of France (2.00), the UK (1.97), the USA (1.89). Yet its TFR is higher than in other G8 countries like Germany (1.36), Japan (1.39), Canada (1.59) and Italy (1.40).

Compared to other most populous nations, Russia has a lower TFR than Nigeria (5.49), Pakistan (3.42), India (2.59), Indonesia (2.09), the USA (1.895), Brazil (2.19), and higher TFR than China (1.40).

Compared to its neighbors, in 2011 Russia has a lower TFR than Kazakhstan (2.41), Mongolia (2.19), Azerbaijan (1.92), Norway (1.88),North Korea (2.01), Finland (1.83). While Russian TFR is higher than in Estonia (1.52), Lithuania (1.55), Belarus (1.50), Georgia (1.70)^{[citation needed]}, Ukraine (1.45), Poland (1.31) and Latvia (1.32).

Also many other European countries like Czech Republic (1.42), Spain (1.35), Greece (1.41), Hungary (1.26), Switzerland (1.53), Portugal (1.51) Albania (1.48) as well as East Asian countries and territories like South Korea (1.23), Taiwan (1.10), Singapore (0.78), Hong Kong (1.09), Macau (0.92) have a lower TFR than Russia.

See also: List of countries by fertility rate

Health

Main article: Health in Russia

Life expectancy

Russian male and female life expectancy since 1950.

total population: 70.3 years
male: 64.3 years
female: 76.1 years (2011)

The disparity in the average lifespan between genders in Russia is one of the largest in the world. Women live 9–12 years longer than men, while the difference in lifespan is typically only five years in other parts of the world. While medical sources, like The Lancet, name mass privatization, and the neo-liberalist shock therapy policies of Yeltsin administration as key reasons of falling life expectancy of Russian men, other sorces, like Luke Harding from The Guardian claim alcoholism explains the large difference in gender mortality levels in Russia. As of 2011, the average life expectancy in Russia was 64.3 years for males and 76.1 years for females. According to the WHO 2011 report, annual per capita alcohol consumption in Russia is about 15.76 litres, fourth highest volume in Europe (compare to 13.37 in the UK, 13.66 in France, 15.6 in Ukraine, 16.45 in the Czech Republic, etc.). In the late 1950s, the USSR claimed a higher life expectancy than the United States, but the Soviet Union has lagged behind Western countries in terms of mortality and life expectancy since the late 1960s.

The life expectancy was about 70 in 1986, prior to the transition-induced disruption of the healthcare system. The turmoil in the early 1990s caused life expectancy in Russia to steadily decrease while it was steadily increasing in the rest of the world. Recently however, Russian life expectancy has again begun to rise. Between 2006—2011 the male life expectancy in Russia rose by almost four years, increasing the overall life expectancy by nearly 4 years to 70.3.

Mortality

In 2010, 1,140,368, or 56% of all deaths in Russia were caused by cardiovascular disease. The second leading cause of death was cancer which claimed 292,310 lives (14.3%). External causes of death such as suicide (1.7%), road accidents (1.4%), murders (0.9%), accidental alcohol poisoning (0.7%), and accidental drowning (0.5%), claimed 206,336 lives in total (10.2%). Other major causes of death were diseases of the digestive system (4.5%), respiratory disease (3.6%), infectious and parasitic diseases (1.6%), and tuberculosis (1.1%). The infant mortality rate in 2010 was 7.5 deaths per 1,000 (down from 8.2 in 2009 and 16.9 in 1999).

Under-five mortality rate

13 deaths/1,000 live births (2008)

Abortions and Family Planning

Main article: Abortion in Russia

In the 1980s only 8–10% of married Russian women of reproductive age used hormonal and intrauterine contraception methods, compared to 20–40% in developed countries. This led to much higher abortion rates in Russia compared to developed countries: in the 1980s Russia had a figure of 120 abortions per 1,000 women of reproductive age compared with only 20 per 1,000 in Western countries. However, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union many changes took place, such as the demonopolization of the market for contraceptive drugs and media liberalization, which led to a rapid conversion to more efficient pregnancy control practices. Abortion rates fell in the first half of the 1990s for the first time in Russia's history, even despite declining fertility rates. From the early 1990s to 2006, the number of expected abortions per women during her lifetime fell by nearly 2.5 times, from 3.4 to 1.2. As of 2004, the share of women of reproductive age using hormonal or intrauterine birth control methods was about 46% (29% intrauterine, 17% hormonal).

Despite clear progress in family planning, the target of desired children at the desired time for a large portion of Russian families has not yet been achieved. According to a 2004 study, current pregnancies were termed "desired and timely" by 58% of respondents, while 23% described them as "desired, but untimely", and 19% said they were "undesired". The share of unexpected pregnancies remains much lower in countries with developed family planning culture, such as the Netherlands, whose percentage of unwanted pregnancies 20 years ago was half of that in Russia today.

Ethnic groups

Ethnic Russians as a percentage of the population by region (2010).

Main article: Ethnic groups in Russia

Further information: List of indigenous peoples of Russia

The Russian Federation is home to as many as 160 different ethnic groups and indigenous peoples. As of the 2010 census, 80.9% of the population that disclosed their ethnicity (111,016,896 people) is ethnically Russian, followed by (groups larger than one million):

• 3.9% Tatars (5,310,000)
• 1.41% Ukrainians (1,930,000)
• 1.16% Bashkirs (1,580,000)
• 1.05% Chuvashs (1,440,000)
• 1.04% Chechens (1,430,000)
• 0.86% Armenians (1,180,000)

It is important to note that in the 2010 Census, almost 6 million people (about 4% of the overall population.) did not declare any ethnic origin, compared to about 1 million in the 2002 Census. This is due to the fact that those people were counted from administrative databases and not directly, and were therefore unable to state their ethnicity. Therefore, the percentages mentioned above are taken from the total population that declared their ethnicity, given that the non-declared remainder is thought to have an ethnic composition similar to the declared segment.

Most smaller groups live compactly in their respective regions and can be categorized by language group. The ethnic divisions used here are those of the official census, and may in some respects be controversial. The following lists all ethnicities resolved by the 2010 census, grouped by language:

• Indo-European 118,687,275 (total 84.81%; 82.75% Slavs)
  • Russians 111,016,896 (80.90%)
  • Ukrainians 1,930,000 (1.41%)
  • Armenians 1,180,000 (0.86%)
  • Belarusians 521,443 (0.38%)
  • Germans 394,138 (0.29%)
  • Ossetians 528,515 (0.39%)
  • Roma 204,958 (0.15%)
  • Tajiks 200,303 (0.15%)
  • Moldovans 156,400 (0.12%)
  • Greeks 85,640 (0.06%)
  • Poles 47.125 (0.04%)
  • Lithuanians 31,377 (0.03%)
  • Bulgarians 24,038 (0.02%)
  • Latvians 18,979 (0.01%)

• Turkic 11,998,830 (total 8.78%)
  • Tatars 5,310,649 (3.9%)
  • Bashkirs 1,584,554 (1.16%)
  • Chuvashs 1,435,872 (1.05%)
  • Kazakhs 647,732 (0.47%)
  • Azerbaijani 603,070 (0.44%)
  • Kumyks 503,060 (0.37%)
  • Yakuts 478,085 (0.35%)
  • Uzbeks 289,862 (0.21%)
  • Tuvans 263,934 (0.19%)
  • Karachays 218,403 (0.16%)
  • Balkars 112,924 (0.08%)
  • Turks 105,058 (0.08%)
  • Nogais 103,660 (0.08%)
  • Kyrgyz 103,422 (0.08%)
  • Altay 74,238 (0.05%)
  • Khakas 72,959 (0.05%)
  • Turkmens 36,885 (0.03%)
  • Gagauz 13,690 (0.01%)
  • Shors 12,888 (0.01%)
  • Dolgans 7,885 (0.01%)
  • Other Turkic-speaking people 20,000 (0.01%)

• Caucasian 5,152,275 (total 3.77%)
  • Chechens 1,431,360 (1.04%)
  • Avars 912,090 (0.66%)
  • Dargins 589,396 (0.43%)
  • Kabardians 516,826 (0.38%)
  • Lezgins 473,722 (0.35%)
  • Ingush 443,833 (0.32%)
  • Laks 178,630 (0.13%)
  • Georgians 157,803 (0.11%)
  • Tabasarans 146,360 (0.11%)
  • Adyghe 124,835 (0.09%)
  • Circassians 73,184 (0.05%)
  • Abazas 43,341 (0.03%)
  • Rutuls 35,240 (0.03%)
  • Aguls 34,160 (0.02%)
  • Abkhaz 11,249 (0.01%)
  • Tsakhurs 12,769 (0.01%)

• Uralic 2,317,001 (1.68%)
  • Finno-Ugric 2,266,020 (1.65%)
    • Mordvins 744,237 (0.54%)
    • Udmurts 552,299 (0.40%)
    • Mari 547,605 (0.40%)
    • Komi 228,235 (0.17%)
    • Komi-Permyak 94,456 (0.07%)
    • Karelians 60,815 (0.04%)
    • Khanty 30,943 (0.02%)
    • Finns 20,267 (0.02%)
    • Estonians 17,875 (0.02%)
    • Mansi 12,269 (0.01%)
    • Veps 5,936 (0.00%)
    • Sami 1,771 (0.00%)
    • Izhorians 266 (0.00%)
  • Samoyedic 50,981 (0.03%)
    • Nenets 44,640 (0.03%)
    • Selkups 3,649 (0.00%)
    • Nganasans 862 (0.00%)
    • Enets 227 (0.00%)
    • Kamasins 2 (0.00%)
    • Yukaghir 1,603 (0.00%)

• Mongols 644,761 (0.47%)
  • Buryats 461,389 (0.34%)
  • Kalmyks 183,372 (0.13%)

• Vietnamese 13,954 (0.01%)

• Semitic peoples 167,885 (0.12%)
  • Jews 156,801 (0.11%)
  • Assyrians 11,084 (0.01%)

• Koreans 153,156 (0.11%)

• Manchu-Tungus 77,599 (0.05%)
  • Evenks 38,396 (0.02%)
  • Evens 21,830 (0.02%)
  • Nanais 12,003 (0.01%)
  • Ulchs 2,765 (0.00%)
  • Udege 1,496 (0.00%)
  • Orochs 596 (0.00%)
  • Negidals 513 (0.00%)

• Chukotko-Kamchatkan 28,056 (0.02%)
  • Chukchi 15,908 (0.02%)
  • Koryak 7,953 (0.01%)
  • Itelmeni 3,193 (0.00%)
  • Chuvans 1,002 (0.00%)
  • Kereks 4 (0.00%)

• Nivkh 4,652 (0.00%)

• Eskimo–Aleut 2,220 (0.00%)
  • Eskimo 1,738 (0.00%)
  • Aleut 482 (0.00%)

• Ket 1,219 (0.00%)
• Ainu 109 (0.00%)

Historical perspective

International migration to and from Russia since 1990.

  Arrivals

  Departures

  Net migration growth

The ethno-demographic structure of Russia has gradually changed over time. During the past century the most striking change is the fast increase of the peoples from the Caucasus. In 1926, these people composed 2% of the Russian population, compared to 6.5% in 2010. Though low in absolute numbers, the Siberian people also increased during the past century, but their growth was mainly realized after WW II (from 0.7% in 1959 to 1.2% in 2010) and not applicable to most of the small peoples (less than 10,000 people).

Peoples of European Russia

The relative proportion of the peoples of European Russia gradually decreased during the past century, but still compose 91% of the total population of Russia in 2010. The absolute numbers of most of these peoples reached its highest level in the beginning of the 1990s. Since 1992, natural growth in Russia has been negative and the numbers of all peoples of European Russia were lower in 2010 than in 2002, the only exceptions being the Roma (high fertility rates) and the Gagauz.

Several peoples saw a much larger decrease than can be explained by the low fertility rates and high mortality rates in Russia during the past two decades. Emigration and assimilation contributed to the decrease in numbers of many peoples. Emigration was the most important factor for Germans, Jews and Baltic peoples (Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians). The number of Germans halved between 1959 and 2010. Their main country of destination is Germany.

The number of Jews decreased by more than 80% between 1959 and 2010. In 1970, the Soviet Union had the third largest population of Jews in the world, (2,183,000 of whom 808,000 with residence in Russia), following only that of the United States and Israel. By 2010, due to Jewish emigration, their number fell as low as 158,000. A sizeable emigration of other minorities has been enduring, too. The main destinations of emigrants from Russia are the USA (Jews, Belarussians, Chechens, Meskhetian Turks, Ukrainians and others), Israel (Jews), Germany (Germans and Jews), Poland (Poles), Canada (Finns and Ukrainians), Finland (Finns), France (Jews and Armenians) and the United Kingdom (mainly rich Russians).^{[citation needed]}

Assimilation (i.e., marrying Russians and having children of such unions counted as Russians) explains the decrease in numbers of Ukrainians, Belarusians and most of the Uralic peoples. The assimilation is reflected in the high median age of these peoples (see the table below), as assimilation is stronger among young people than among old people. The process of assimilation of the Uralic peoples of Russia is probably going on for centuries and is most prominent among the Mordvins (1.4% of the Russian population in 1926 and 0.5% in 2010), the Karelians, Veps and Izhorians.

Assimilation on the other hand slowed down the decrease of the number of ethnic Russians. Besides, the decrease of the number of Russians was also slowed down by the immigration of ethnic Russians from the former Soviet republics, especially Central Asia. Similarly, the numbers of Ukrainians, Belarusians, Germans, Jews, and other non-autochthonous ethnic groups has also been decreased by emigration to Ukraine, Belarus, Germany, Israel, and so forth, respectively.

Peoples of European Russia in the Russian Federation, 1926-2010

Ethnic group	Language family	1926 Census		1939 Census		1959 Census		1970 Census		1979 Census		1989 Census		2002 Census		2010 Census
		Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Russians	Indo-European	72,374,283	78.1%	89,747,795	82.9%	97,863,579	83.3%	107,747,630	82.8%	113,521,881	82.6%	119,865,469	81.5%	115,889,107	80.6%	111,016,896	80.9%
Tatars	Turkic	2,926,053	3.2%	3,682,956	3.4%	4,074,253	3.5%	4,577,061	3.5%	5,055,757	3.6%	5,522,096	3.8%	5,554,601	3.9%	5,310,649	3.9%
Ukrainians	Indo-European	6,870,976	7.4%	3,205,061	3.0%	3,359,083	2.9%	3,345,885	2.6%	3,657,647	2.7%	4,362,872	3.0%	2,942,961	2.0%	1,927,888	1.4%
Bashkirs	Turkic	738,861	0.80%	824,537	0.76%	953,801	0.81%	1,180,913	0.91%	1,290,994	0.94%	1,345,273	0.92%	1,673,389	1.16%	1,584,554	1.15%
Chuvashs	Turkic	1,112,478	1.20%	1,346,232	1.24%	1,436,218	1.22%	1,637,028	1.26%	1,689,847	1.23%	1,773,645	1.21%	1,637,094	1.14%	1,435,872	1.05%
Mordvins	Uralic	1,306,798	1.41%	1,375,558	1.27%	1,211,105	1.03%	1,177,492	0.91%	1,111,075	0.81%	1,072,939	0.73%	843,350	0.59%	744,237	0.54%
Udmurts	Uralic	503,970	0.54%	599,893	0.55%	615,640	0.52%	678,393	0.52%	685,718	0.50%	714,883	0.49%	636,906	0.45%	552,299	0.40%
Besermyan	Uralic	10,035	0.01%											3,122	0.00%	2,201	0.00%
Mari	Uralic	427,874	0.46%	476,314	0.44%	498,066	0.42%	581,082	0.45%	599,637	0.44%	643,698	0.44%	604,298	0.42%	547,605	0.40%
Belarusians	Indo-European	607,845	0.66%	451,933	0.42%	843,985	0.72%	964,082	0.74%	1,051,900	0.77%	1,206,222	0.82%	807,970	0.56%	521,443	0.38%
Germans	Indo-European	707,277	0.76%	811,205	0.75%	820,016	0.70%	761,888	0.59%	790,762	0.58%	842,295	0.57%	597,212	0.42%	394,138	0.29%
Komi	Uralic	226,012	0.24%	415,009	0.38%	281,780	0.24%	315,347	0.24%	320,078	0.23%	336,309	0.23%	293,406	0.20%	228,235	0.17%
Komi-Permyak	Uralic	149,275	0.16%			143,030	0.12%	150,244	0.12%	145,993	0.11%	147,269	0.10%	125,235	0.09%	94,456	0.07%
Roma	Indo-European	39,089	0.04%	59,198	0.05%	72,488	0.06%	97,955	0.08%	120,672	0.09%	152,939	0.10%	183,252	0.13%	205,007	0.15%
Jews	Semitic	539,086	0.58%	891,147	0.82%	875,058	0.74%	807,526	0.62%	699,286	0.51%	550,709	0.37%	233,439	0.16%	157,673	0.11%
Moldovans	Indo-European	16,870	0.02%	21,974	0.02%	62,298	0.05%	87,538	0.07%	102,137	0.07%	172,671	0.12%	172,330	0.12%	156,400	0.11%
Karelians	Uralic	248,017	0.27%	249,778	0.23%	164,050	0.14%	141,148	0.11%	133,182	0.10%	124,921	0.08%	93,344	0.06%	60,815	0.04%
Poles	Indo-European	189,269	0.20%	142,461	0.13%	118,422	0.10%	107,084	0.08%	99,733	0.07%	94,594	0.06%	73,001	0.05%	47,125	0.03%
Lithuanians	Indo-European	26,128	0.03%	20,795	0.02%	108,579	0.09%	76,718	0.06%	66,783	0.05%	70,427	0.05%	45,569	0.03%	31,377	0.02%
Bulgarians	Indo-European	4,087	0.00%	8,338	0.01%	24,899	0.02%	27,321	0.02%	24,943	0.02%	32,785	0.02%	31,965	0.02%	24,038	0.02%
Finns	Uralic	134,089	0.14%	138,962	0.13%	72,356	0.06%	62,307	0.05%	55,687	0.04%	47,102	0.03%	34,050	0.02%	20,267	0.01%
Latvians	Indo-European	124,312	0.13%	104,877	0.10%	74,932	0.06%	59,695	0.05%	67,267	0.05%	46,829	0.03%	28,520	0.02%	18,979	0.01%
Estonians	Uralic	146,051	0.16%	130,494	0.12%	78,556	0.07%	62,980	0.05%	55,539	0.04%	46,390	0.03%	28,113	0.02%	17,875	0.01%
Gagauz	Turkic	0	0.00%	0	0.00%	3,012	0.00%	3,704	0.00%	4,176	0.00%	10,051	0.01%	12,210	0.01%	13,690	0.01%
Veps	Uralic	32,783	0.04%	31,442	0.03%	16,170	0.01%	8,057	0.01%	7,550	0.01%	12,142	0.01%	8,240	0.01%	5,936	0.00%
Sami	Uralic	1,715	0.00%	1,828	0.00%	1,760	0.00%	1,836	0.00%	1,775	0.00%	1,835	0.00%	1,991	0.00%	1,771	0.00%
Izhorians	Uralic	16,136	0.02%	7,720	0.01%	564	0.00%	561	0.00%	449	0.00%	449	0.00%	327	0.00%	266	0.00%
Karaim	Turkic	1,608	0.00%		0.00%	1,608	0.00%	1,236	0.00%	939	0.00%	680	0.00%	366	0.00%	205	0.00%

Peoples of the Caucasus

Peoples of the Caucasus in the Russian Federation, 1926-2010

Ethnic group	Language family	1926 Census		1939 Census		1959 Census		1970 Census		1979 Census		1989 Census		2002 Census		2010 Census
		Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Chechens	Northeast Caucasian	318,361	0.34%	400,325	0.37%	261,311	0.22%	572,220	0.44%	712,161	0.52%	898,999	0.61%	1,360,253	0.95%	1,431,360	1.04%
Armenians	Indo-European	183,785	0.20%	205,233	0.19%	255,978	0.22%	298,718	0.23%	364,570	0.27%	532,390	0.36%	1,132,033	0.79%	1,184,435	0.86%
Avars	Northeast Caucasian	178,263	0.19%	235,715	0.22%	249,529	0.21%	361,613	0.28%	438,306	0.32%	544,016	0.37%	814,473	0.57%	912,090	0.66%
Azerbaijani	Turkic	24,335	0.03%	43,014	0.04%	70,947	0.06%	95,689	0.07%	152,421	0.11%	335,889	0.23%	621,840	0.43%	603,070	0.44%
Dargins	Northeast Caucasian	125,759	0.14%	152,007	0.14%	152,563	0.13%	224,172	0.17%	280,444	0.20%	353,348	0.24%	510,156	0.35%	589,396	0.43%
Ossetians	Indo-European	157,280	0.17%	195,624	0.18%	247,834	0.21%	313,458	0.24%	352,080	0.26%	402,275	0.27%	514,875	0.36%	528,515	0.38%
Kabardins	Northwest Caucasian	139,864	0.15%	161,216	0.15%	200,634	0.17%	277,435	0.21%	318,822	0.23%	386,055	0.26%	519,958	0.36%	516,826	0.38%
Kumyks	Turkic	94,509	0.10%	110,299	0.10%	132,896	0.11%	186,690	0.14%	225,800	0.16%	277,163	0.19%	422,409	0.29%	503,060	0.37%
Lezgians	Northeast Caucasian	92,937	0.10%	100,328	0.09%	114,210	0.10%	170,494	0.13%	202,854	0.15%	257,270	0.17%	411,535	0.29%	473,722	0.34%
Ingush	Northeast Caucasian	72,137	0.08%	90,980	0.08%	55,799	0.05%	137,380	0.11%	165,997	0.12%	215,068	0.15%	413,016	0.29%	444,833	0.32%
Karachays	Turkic	55,116	0.06%	74,488	0.07%	70,537	0.06%	106,831	0.08%	125,792	0.09%	150,332	0.10%	192,182	0.13%	218,403	0.16%
Kalmyks	Mongolic	128,809	0.14%	129,786	0.12%	100,603	0.09%	131,318	0.10%	140,103	0.10%	165,103	0.11%	174,000	0.12%	183,372	0.13%
Laks	Northeast Caucasian	40,243	0.04%	54,348	0.05%	58,397	0.05%	78,625	0.06%	91,412	0.07%	106,245	0.07%	156,545	0.11%	178,630	0.13%
Georgians	South Caucasian	20,551	0.02%	43,585	0.04%	57,594	0.05%	68,971	0.05%	89,407	0.07%	130,688	0.09%	197,934	0.14%	157,803	0.11%
Tabasarans	Northeast Caucasian	31,983	0.03%	33,471	0.03%	34,288	0.03%	54,047	0.04%	73,433	0.05%	93,587	0.06%	131,785	0.09%	146,360	0.11%
Adyghe	Northwest Caucasian	64,959	0.07%	85,588	0.08%	78,561	0.07%	98,461	0.08%	107,239	0.08%	122,908	0.08%	128,528	0.09%	124,835	0.09%
Shapsugs	Northwest Caucasian													3,231	0.00%	3,882	0.00%
Circassians	Northwest Caucasian					28,986	0.02%	38,356	0.03%	44,572	0.03%	50,572	0.03%	60,517	0.04%	73,184	0.05%
Balkars	Turkic	33,298	0.04%	41,949	0.04%	35,249	0.03%	52,969	0.04%	61,828	0.04%	78,341	0.05%	108,426	0.08%	112,924	0.08%
Turks	Turkic	1,846	0.00%	2,668	0.00%	1,377	0.00%	1,568	0.00%	3,561	0.00%	9,890	0.01%	92,415	0.06%	105,058	0.08%
Meskhetian Turks	Turkic													3,527	0.00%	4,825	0.00%
Nogais	Turkic	36,089	0.04%	36,088	0.03%	37,656	0.03%	51,159	0.04%	58,639	0.04%	73,703	0.05%	90,666	0.06%	103,660	0.08%
Greeks	Indo-European	34,439	0.04%	65,705	0.06%	47,024	0.04%	57,847	0.04%	69,816	0.05%	91,699	0.06%	97,827	0.07%	85,640	0.06%
Kurds	Indo-European	164	0.00%	387	0.00%	855	0.00%	1,015	0.00%	1,634	0.00%	4,724	0.00%	19,607	0.01%	23,232	0.01%
Yazidis	Indo-European	1	0.00%											31,273	0.02%	40,586	0.03%
Abazas	Northwest Caucasian	13,825	0.01%	14,739	0.01%	19,059	0.02%	24,892	0.02%	28,800	0.02%	32,983	0.02%	37,942	0.03%	43,341	0.03%
Rutuls	Northeast Caucasian	10,333	0.01%	20,962	0.02%	6,703	0.01%	11,904	0.01%	14,835	0.01%	19,503	0.01%	29,929	0.02%	35,240	0.03%
Aghuls	Northeast Caucasian	7,653	0.01%			6,460	0.01%	8,751	0.01%	11,752	0.01%	17,728	0.01%	28,297	0.02%	34,160	0.02%
Tsakhurs	Northeast Caucasian	3,533	0.00%			4,437	0.00%	4,730	0.00%	4,774	0.00%	6,492	0.00%	10,366	0.01%	12,769	0.01%
Udis	Northeast Caucasian	2	0.00%			35	0.00%	94	0.00%	216	0.00%	1,102	0.00%	3,721	0.00%	4,267	0.00%
Abkhaz	Northwest Caucasian	97	0.00%	647	0.00%	1,400	0.00%	2,427	0.00%	4,058	0.00%	7,239	0.00%	11,366	0.01%	11,249	0.01%
Assyrians	Semitic	2,791	0.00%	7,446	0.01%	7,612	0.01%	8,098	0.01%	8,708	0.01%	9,622	0.01%	13,649	0.01%	11,084	0.01%
Persians	Indo-European	8,626	0.01%	6,041	0.01%	2,490	0.00%	2,548	0.00%	1,747	0.00%	2,572	0.00%	3,821	0.00%	3,696	0.00%
Talysh	Indo-European	0	0.00%	47	0.00%	33	0.00%		%	2	0.00%	202	0.00%	2,548	0.00%	2,529	0.00%
Tats	Indo-European	223	0.00%			5,136	0.00%	8,753	0.01%	12,748	0.01%	19,420	0.01%	2,303	0.00%	1,585	0.00%

Peoples of Siberia

Peoples of Siberia in the Russian Federation, 1926-2010

Ethnic group	Language family	1926 Census		1939 Census		1959 Census		1970 Census		1979 Census		1989 Census		2002 Census		2010 Census
		Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Sakha	Turkic	240,682	0.26%	241,870	0.22%	236,125	0.20%	295,223	0.23%	326,531	0.24%	380,242	0.26%	443,852	0.31%	478,085	0.35%
Dolgans	Turkic	656	0.00%					4,718	0.00%	4,911	0.00%	6,584	0.00%	7,261	0.01%	7,885	0.01%
Buryats	Mongolic	237,490	0.26%	220,618	0.20%	251,504	0.21%	312,847	0.24%	349,760	0.25%	417,425	0.28%	445,175	0.31%	461,389	0.34%
Soyots	Mongolic	229	0.00%											2,769	0.00%	3,608	0.00%
Tuvans	Turkic	200	0.00%	794	0.00%	99,864	0.08%	139,013	0.11%	165,426	0.12%	206,160	0.14%	243,442	0.17%	263,934	0.19%
Altay peoples	Turkic	52,248	0.06%	46,489	0.04%	44,654	0.04%	54,614	0.04%	58,879	0.04%	69,409	0.05%	77,822	0.05%	89,773	0.06%
Khakas	Turkic	45,607	0.05%	52,033	0.05%	56,032	0.05%	65,368	0.05%	69,247	0.05%	78,500	0.05%	76,278	0.05%	73,314	0.05%
Nenets	Uralic	17,560	0.02%	24,716	0.02%	22,845	0.02%	28,487	0.02%	29,487	0.02%	34,190	0.02%	41,302	0.03%	44,640	0.03%
Enets	Uralic											198	0.00%	237	0.00%	227	0.00%
Nganasans	Uralic					721	0.00%	823	0.00%	842	0.00%	1,262	0.00%	834	0.00%	862	0.00%
Evenks	Tungusic	38,804	0.03%	29,599	0.02%	24,583	0.02%	25,051	0.02%	27,278	0.02%	29,901	0.02%	35,527	0.02%	38,396	0.03%
Khanty	Uralic	22,301	0.02%	18,447	0.02%	19,246	0.02%	21,007	0.02%	20,743	0.02%	22,283	0.02%	28,678	0.02%	30,943	0.02%
Evens	Tungusic	2,044	0.00%	9,674	0.01%	9,023	0.01%	11,819	0.01%	12,215	0.01%	17,055	0.01%	19,071	0.01%	21,830	0.02%
Chukchi	Chukotko-Kamchatkan	12,331	0.01%	13,830	0.01%	11,680	0.01%	13,500	0.01%	13,937	0.01%	15,107	0.01%	15,767	0.01%	15,098	0.01%
Kereks	Chukotko-Kamchatkan													8	0.00%	4	0.00%
Chuvans	Chukotko-Kamchatkan	704	0.00%									1,384	0.00%	1,087	0.00%	1,002	0.00%
Shors	Turkic	13,000	0.01%	16,042	0.01%	14,938	0.01%	15,950	0.01%	15,182	0.01%	15,745	0.01%	13,975	0.01%	12,888	0.01%
Mansi	Uralic	5,754	0.01%	6,295	0.01%	6,318	0.01%	7,609	0.01%	7,434	0.01%	8,279	0.01%	11,432	0.01%	12,269	0.01%
Nanais	Tungusic	5,860	0.01%	8,411	0.01%	7,919	0.01%	9,911	0.01%	10,357	0.01%	11,883	0.01%	12,160	0.01%	12,003	0.01%
Koryaks	Chukotko-Kamchatkan	7,437	0.01%	7,337	0.01%	6,168	0.01%	7,367	0.01%	7,637	0.01%	8,942	0.01%	8,743	0.01%	7,953	0.01%
Nivkh	Nivkh	4,076	0.00%	3,857	0.00%	3,690	0.00%	4,356	0.00%	4,366	0.00%	4,631	0.00%	5,162	0.00%	4,652	0.00%
Selkups	Uralic	1,630	0.00%	2,604	0.00%	3,704	0.00%	4,249	0.00%	3,518	0.00%	3,564	0.00%	4,249	0.00%	3,649	0.00%
Udege	Tungusic	1,357	0.00%	1,701	0.00%	1,395	0.00%	1,396	0.00%	1,431	0.00%	1,902	0.00%	1,657	0.00%	1,496	0.00%
Taz	Tungusic													276	0.00%	274	0.00%
Itelmeni	Chukotko-Kamchatkan	803	0.00%	11,824	0.01%	1,096	0.00%	1,255	0.00%	1,335	0.00%	2,429	0.00%	3,180	0.00%	3,193	0.00%
Ulchs	Tungusic	723	0.00%			2,049	0.00%	2,410	0.00%	2,494	0.00%	3,173	0.00%	2,913	0.00%	2,765	0.00%
Eskimo	Eskimo-Aleut	1,292	0.00%			1,111	0.00%	1,265	0.00%	1,460	0.00%	1,704	0.00%	1,750	0.00%	1,738	0.00%
Yukaghir	Yukaghir	443	0.00%			440	0.00%	593	0.00%	801	0.00%	1,112	0.00%	1,509	0.00%	1,603	0.00%
Ket	Yeniseian	1,428	0.00%			1,017	0.00%	1,161	0.00%	1,072	0.00%	1,084	0.00%	1,494	0.00%	1,219	0.00%
Tofalars	Turkic	2,828	0.00%			476	0.00%	570	0.00%	576	0.00%	722	0.00%	837	0.00%	762	0.00%
Orochs	Tungusic	646	0.00%			779	0.00%	1,037	0.00%	1,040	0.00%	883	0.00%	686	0.00%	596	0.00%
Oroks	Tungusic	162	0.00%			2	0.00%					179	0.00%	346	0.00%	295	0.00%
Negidals	Tungusic	683	0.00%					495	0.00%	477	0.00%	587	0.00%	567	0.00%	513	0.00%
Aleut	Eskimo-Aleut	353	0.00%			399	0.00%	410	0.00%	489	0.00%	644	0.00%	540	0.00%	482	0.00%

Foreign born population

See also: Illegal immigration in Russia

Russia experiences a constant flow of immigration. On average, close to 300,000 legal immigrants enter the country every year; about half are ethnic Russians from the other republics of the former Soviet Union. There is a significant inflow of ethnic Armenians, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz and Tajiks into big Russian cities, something that is viewed unfavorably by some citizens. In addition, there are an estimated 4 million illegal immigrants from the ex-Soviet states in Russia.

The Kazakhs in Russia are mostly not recent immigrants. The majority inhabit regions bordering Kazakhstan such as the Astrakhan (16% of the population are Kazakhs), Orenburg (6% of the population are Kazakhs), Omsk (4% of the population are Kazakhs) and Saratov (3% of the population are Kazakhs) oblasts. Together these oblasts host 60% of the Kazakh population in Russia. The number of Kazakhs slightly decreased between 2002 and 2010 due to emigration to Kazakhstan, which has by far the strongest economy in Central Asia; other Central Asian populations (especially Uzbeks, Tajiks, and Kyrgyz) have continued to rise rapidly.

Russian statistical organizations classify the immigrants based on their ethnicity, although the information is published only up to 2007. In that year, the net immigration was 190,397 (plus another 49,546 for which ethnicity was unknown). Of this, 97,813 was Slavic / Germanic / Finnic (51.4%, of which   Russian - 72,769, Ukrainian - 17,802), Turkic and other Muslim - 52,536 (27.6%, of which Azeri - 14,084, Tatar - 10,391, Uzbek - 10,517, Tajik - 9,032, Kyrgyz - 7,533 & Kazakh - (-)1,424) and Others - 40,048 (21.0%, of which   Armenian - 25,719).

Peoples of Central Asia in the Russian Federation, 1926-2010

Ethnic group	Language family	1926 Census		1939 Census		1959 Census		1970 Census		1979 Census		1989 Census		2002 Census		2010 Census
		Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Kazakhs	Turkic	136,501	0.15%	356,500	0.33%	382,431	0.33%	477,820	0.37%	518,060	0.38%	635,865	0.43%	653,962	0.46%	647,732	0.47%
Uzbeks	Turkic	942	0.00%	16,166	0.01%	29,512	0.03%	61,588	0.05%	72,385	0.05%	126,899	0.09%	122,916	0.09%	289,862	0.21%
Tajiks	Indo-European	52	0.00%	3,315	0.00%	7,027	0.01%	14,108	0.01%	17,863	0.01%	38,208	0.03%	120,136	0.08%	200,666	0.15%
Kyrgyz	Turkic	285	0.00%	6,311	0.01%	4,701	0.00%	9,107	0.01%	15,011	0.01%	41,734	0.03%	31,808	0.02%	103,422	0.08%
Turkmens	Turkic	7,849	0.01%	12,869	0.01%	11,631	0.01%	20,040	0.02%	22,979	0.02%	39,739	0.03%	33,053	0.02%	36,885	0.03%
Uygurs	Turkic	26	0.00%	642	0.00%	720	0.00%	1,513	0.00%	1,707	0.00%	2,577	0.00%	2,867	0.00%	3,696	0.00%
Karakalpaks	Turkic	14	0.00%	306	0.00%	988	0.00%	2,267	0.00%	1,743	0.00%	6,155	0.00%	1,609	0.00%	1,466	0.00%

• 

  Ethnic map of Russia, 1989

• 

  Ethnic map of Russia, 2010

The 2010 census found the following figures for foreign citizens resident in Russia:
Uzbekistan: 131,100 Ukraine: 93,400 Tajikistan: 87,100 Azerbaijan: 67,900 Armenia: 59,400 Kyrgyzstan: 44,600 Moldova: 33,900 China: 28,400 Kazakhstan: 28,100 Belarus: 27,700 Georgia: 12,100 Vietnam: 11,100 Turkmenistan: 5,600 Turkey: 5,400 Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania: 5,300 India: 4,500 All others: 41,400

Median age and fertility

Median ages of ethnic groups vary considerably between groups. Ethnic Russians and other Slavic and Finnic groups have higher median age compared to the Caucasian groups.

Median ages are strongly correlated with fertility rates, ethnic groups with higher fertility rates have lower median ages, and vice versa. For example, in 2002, in the ethnic group with the lowest median age – Ingush – women 35 or older had, on average, 4.05 children; in the ethnic group with the highest median age – Jews – women 35 or older averaged only 1.37 children. Ethnic Jews have both the highest median age and the lowest fertility rate; this is a consequence of Jewish emigration.^{[citation needed]}

Ethnic Russians represent a significant deviation from the pattern, with second lowest fertility rate of all major groups, but relatively low median age (37.6 years). This phenomenon is at least partly due to the fact that children from mixed marriages are often registered as ethnic Russians in the census.^{[citation needed]} The most noticeable trend in the past couple of decades is the convergence of birth rates between minorities (including Muslim minorities) and the Russian majority.^{[citation needed]}

The following table shows the variation in median age and fertility rates according to 2002 census.

Ethnic Group	Median Age	Male	Female	Urban	Urban M	Urban F	Rural	Rural M	Rural F	Children / woman (15+)	Children / woman (35+)	Predominant religion
Russian	37.6	34.0	40.5	37.1	33.5	40.1	39.0	35.7	41.7	1.446	1.828	Christianity
Tatar	37.7	35.3	39.6	37.2	34.7	39.1	38.8	36.5	41.1	1.711	2.204	Islam
Ukrainian	45.9	44.7	47.3	45.6	44.5	46.8	47.0	45.2	49.0	1.726	1.946	Christianity
Bashkir	34.2	32.1	36.2	32.9	30.6	34.7	35.4	33.3	37.6	1.969	2.658	Islam
Chuvash	38.6	36.4	40.4	37.9	36.3	39.1	39.4	36.5	42.5	1.884	2.379	Christianity
Chechen	22.8	22.1	23.5	22.9	22.5	23.4	22.7	21.9	23.5	2.163	3.456	Islam
Armenian	32.8	33.4	32.0	33.0	33.7	32.2	32.1	32.6	31.5	1.68	2.225	Christianity
Mordvin	44.4	42.1	46.9	44.2	42.3	45.9	44.7	41.7	48.5	1.986	2.303	Christianity
Avar	24.6	23.8	25.4	23.8	23.4	24.1	25.1	24.0	26.2	2.09	3.319	Islam
Belarusian	48.0	45.9	50.2	47.7	45.8	49.6	49.1	46.1	52.4	1.765	1.941	Christianity
Kazakh/Kyrgyz	30.2	29.4	31	29.5	29	30.1	30.6	29.7	31.4	2.015	2.964	Islam
Udmurt	40.0	37.4	42.0	41.2	39.0	42.6	38.9	36.1	41.3	1.93	2.378	Christianity
Azerbaijani	29.5	31.9	24.6	30.0	32.3	24.7	26.5	28.7	24.1	1.83	2.619	Islam
Mari	36.7	34.5	38.5	36.4	34.6	37.7	36.9	34.5	39.3	1.917	2.493	Christianity
German	39.7	38.2	41.2	39.6	38.0	41.0	40.0	38.4	41.4	1.864	2.443	Christianity
Kabardin	28.2	27.1	29.3	28.8	27.4	30.2	27.7	26.9	28.4	1.799	2.654	Islam
Ossetian	34.1	32.5	35.7	34.0	32.2	35.7	34.4	33.2	35.6	1.665	2.267	Christianity
Dargwa	24.6	23.9	25.3	24.3	23.8	24.8	24.8	24.0	25.6	2.162	3.476	Islam
Buryat	28.6	26.6	30.5	27.6	25.7	29.5	29.5	27.4	31.5	1.949	2.861	Buddhism
Yakut	26.9	25.1	28.7	26.9	25.2	28.5	27.0	25.1	28.8	1.972	2.843	Christianity
Kumyk	24.6	23.7	25.4	24.8	23.9	25.6	24.4	23.5	25.2	1.977	3.123	Islam
Ingush	22.7	22.4	23.0	22.9	22.5	23.4	22.5	22.3	22.7	2.325	4.05	Islam
Lezgian	25.4	25.2	25.7	25.0	25.2	24.8	25.9	25.2	26.6	2.045	3.275	Islam
Komi	38.8	35.8	41.0	39.4	35.5	41.6	38.3	36.0	40.4	1.869	2.363	Christianity
Tuvan	23.0	21.7	24.2	22.3	21.4	23.3	23.6	22.0	25.1	1.996	3.407	Buddhism
Jewish	57.5	55.7	61.1	57.6	55.7	61.2	53.5	52.0	55.3	1.264	1.371	Judaism
Karachay	29.5	28.3	30.5	27.6	26.4	28.9	30.5	29.5	31.5	1.86	2.836	Islam
Kalmyk	31.3	29.2	33.3	28.6	26.3	31.3	33.9	32.6	35.1	1.853	2.625	Buddhism
Adyghe	34.2	32.4	36.0	32.0	30.3	33.7	36.2	34.2	38.2	1.757	2.363	Islam
Permyak	40.8	38.6	42.7	41.3	39.5	42.5	40.5	38.1	42.8	2.145	2.604	Christianity
Balkar	30.1	29.5	30.7	29.3	28.8	29.8	30.9	30.1	31.9	1.689	2.624	Islam
Karelian	45.7	42.4	48.6	44.7	41.3	47.2	47.0	43.5	51.2	1.823	2.108	Christianity
Kazakh	30.7	28.4	32.9	30.1	27.9	32.4	31.2	28.8	33.5	1.872	2.609	Islam
Altay	27.5	25.5	29.4	22.7	21.5	24.2	28.9	26.9	30.8	2.021	2.933	Buddhism
Cherkess	31.2	30.1	32.3	29.7	28.3	30.9	32.1	31.1	33.3	1.807	2.607	Islam

Languages

Main article: Languages of Russia

Russian is the common official language throughout Russia understood by 99% of its current inhabitants and widespread in many adjacent areas of Asia and Eastern Europe. National subdivisions of Russia have additional official languages (see their respective articles). There are more than 100 languages spoken in Russia, many of which are in danger of extinction.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Russia

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow

Qolsharif Mosque, Kazan

The most widespread religion in Russia is Eastern Orthodox Christianity, represented by the Russian Orthodox Church. A survey by ВЦИОМ in 2010 (with a 3.4% margin of error) found that 73% of the Russian population is Orthodox and 6% is Muslim. 1% believed in other faiths and the remainder were non-religious, or self-identified atheists or agnostics (self identified religious people and non-religious people can be atheists or agnostics). 16% of the population observed fasting during Lent.

Over 80% of ethnic Russians identify themselves as Orthodox. Of these, approximately 2–4% of the general population are integrated into church life (воцерковленные), while others attend on a less regular basis or not at all. Many non-religious ethnic Russians identify with the Orthodox faith for cultural reasons. The majority of Muslims live in the Volga–Ural region and the North Caucasus, although Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and parts of Siberia also have sizable Muslim populations.

Other branches of Christianity present in Russia include Roman Catholicism (approx. 1%), Baptists, Pentecostals, Lutherans and other Protestant churches (together totalling about 0.5% of the population) and Old Believers. There is some presence of Judaism, Buddhism, and Krishnaism, as well. Shamanism and other pagan beliefs are present to some extent in remote areas, sometimes syncretized with one of the mainstream religions.

According to the 2002 Census, 9.96% of the Russian population belongs to ethnic groups which had traditionally practiced Islam (such as Tatars, Bashkirs, Chechens and Azeris). However the actual number of Muslims is expected to be much lower than this amount, due to the existence of a large number of Christian congregations among these groups (Keräşens and Nağaybäks among Tatars, Mozdok Christians among Kabardians, etc. According to Vyacheslav Sanin, one-third of Adzharians, 25% each of Tatars and Adyghe and more than 10% of Kazakhs living in Russia practice Christianity, with many more being atheist).

The number of Muslims among other ethnic groups is believed to be much smaller, amounting to only a few thousand. Most of the Russian sources give a figure of around 6% of the total population based on surveys, while Western sources give a figure of 10% to 15%. Depending on sources the population varies, Muslim population has also been estimated as high as 20 million, the Dawn newspaper of Pakistan says this value is a usual estimate.

Roman Silantyev, an expert on Islam in Russia, claims that there are between 5,500 and 6,000 ethnic Slavs who are Muslim. At the same time there are more than 500,000 people of traditionally Muslim ethnicities who believe in Orthodoxy. One percent of all the adherents and over 400 priests in the Russian Orthodox Church are from Muslim ethnic groups.

Education

Main article: Education in Russia

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total literacy: 99.4% (2002)
male: 99.7%
female: 99.2%

Russia's free, widespread and in-depth educational system, inherited with almost no changes from the Soviet Union, has produced nearly 100% literacy. 97% of children receive their compulsory 9-year basic or complete 11-year education in Russian. Other languages are also used in their respective republics, for instance Tatar (1%), Yakut (0.4%) etc.^{[citation needed]}

About 3 million students attend Russia's 519 institutions of higher education and 48 universities. As a result of great emphasis on science and technology in education, Russian medical, mathematical, scientific, and space and aviation research is generally of a high order.

Labour force

The Russian labour force is undergoing tremendous changes. Although well-educated and skilled, it is largely mismatched to the rapidly changing needs of the Russian economy. The unemployment rate in Russia was 8.1% as of 2009. Unemployment is highest among women and young people. Following the breakup of the Soviet Union and the economic dislocation it engendered, the standard of living fell dramatically. However, since recovering from the 1998 economic crisis, the standard of living has been on the rise. As of 2007 about 15% of the population was living below the poverty line, compared to 40% in 1999. The average yearly salary in Russia was $7,680 (about $13,800 PPP) as of May 2008, up from $455 per year in August 1999.

According to the FMS, as of 2011, there were 7,000,000 immigrants working in Russia. Half of these were from Ukraine, while the remainder was mostly from Central Asia. Only 3 million or less than half of all the immigrants are legal. Illegal immigrants number 4 million, mostly from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Moldova. The Census usually covers only a part of this population and the last one (2002 Census) counted one million non-citizens.

Rural life

Rural life in Russia is distinct from many other nations. Russia is one of few nations that have small towns hundreds of kilometres from major population centres. Relatively few Russian people live in villages—rural population accounted for 26% of the total population according to the 2010 Russian Census. Some people own or rent village houses and use them as dachas (summer houses).

See also

• Demographics of Siberia
• Demography of Central Asia
• Health in Russia
• Russian cross

Soviet Union:

• Demographics of the Soviet Union
• Tax on childlessness, Soviet era policy

Census information:

• Soviet Census
• Russian Empire Census (1897)
• Russian Census (2002)
• Russian Census (2010)

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, CO: 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.

External links

• Igor Beloborodov, Demographic situation in Russia in 1992–2010 (report at the Moscow Demographic Summit — June 2011)
• Nicholas Eberstadt, Russia’s Peacetime Demographic Crisis: Dimensions, Causes, Implications (National Bureau of Asian Research Project Report, May 2010)
• Edited by Julie DaVanzo, Gwen Farnsworth Russia's Demographic "Crisis" 1996 RAND ISBN 0-8330-2446-9
• Jessica Griffith The Regional Consequences of Russia’s Demographic Crisis University of Leicester
• Results of population policy and current demographic situation (2008)
• Interactive statistics for all countries, site of US Census bureau.
• 2009 World Population Data Sheet by the Population Reference Bureau
• Population density and distribution maps (text is in Russian; the topmost map shows population density based on 1996 data)
• Ethnic groups of Russia
• Problems with mortality data in Russia
• V. Borisov “Demographic situation in Russia and the role of mortality in reproduction of population”, 2005 (in English)
• Russian Empire:
  • The Red Book of the peoples of the Russian Empire
• Iranians Diaspora in Russia: "The Persian Diaspora, List of Persians and Farsi Speaking Peoples living outside of Iran, Worldwide Outreach to Persians, Outreach to Muslims around the Globe". Farsinet.com. Retrieved 14 May 2011. 
• (Russian) В погоне за малыми, an article about treatment of minorities in the Russian Empire, Kommersant-Money, 25 October 2005
• Choice between mass migration and birth rate increase as possible solutions of depopulation problem in Russia (in Russian)