Demographics of Russia
As of the 2021 census, the population of Russia was 147.2 million. 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). 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).
| Year | Pop. | ±% 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% |
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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. Subsequently, the nation has an ageing population, with the median age of the country being 40.3 years. 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. 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. In addition, at least 1 million Russians fled the country to avoid military service in the war.
Russia is a multinational state, 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. 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.