Page last modified 19 August 2023
185) Russia (former USSR)
Community
Area square kilometres (year, ruler)
992,000 (1462, under Ivan the Great)
1,322,700 (1505, under Vassili Ivanovitch)
3,968,100 (1584, under Ivan the Terrible)
13,062,000 (1650, under Alexis Mikhailovich)
15,432,000 (1698, under Peter I)
17,856,000 (1730, under Anna)
18,464,000 (1775, under Katherine II)
20.392,000 (1868, under Alexander II)
21,590,000 (1881, under Alexander II)
22,405,000 (1887, under Alexander III)
22,403,000 (1991); Soviet Union
17,098,242 (1991); Russia (land area 16,377,742 square kilometres)
Population
Russian Empire,
7,500,000 (1000)
6,000,000 (1200)
8,000,000 (1340)
6,000,000 (1500)
14,500,000 (1650)
50,000,000 (1800)
76,000,000 (1850)
121,405,828 (1893)
129,211,113 (1897)
134,000,000 (1900)
170,900,000 (1913)
159,153,000 (1913)*
* population within the borders of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union,
146,000,000 (1926)*
170,557,093 (1939)??
165,000,000 (1945)**
208,826,650 (1959)
241,720,134 (1970)
262,436,227 (1979)
286,717,000 (1989)
* Reduction due to civil war and famine from 1917
?? An original census of 1937 suggested an actual population of 162 million. The last census had been conducted in 1926, before the mass famines and purges of the 1930s. The 162 million figure was unacceptable to the State, being below the 168 million announced by Stalin himself in 1934 and well below the 180 million hoped for in 1937. The organisers of the 1937 census were shot or exiled to Siberia, and the 1939 census produced a figure more palatable to the Soviet leadership.
** Reduction due to casualties of World War Two, but see notes for 1939 census.
Russia, Percentage of world population in brackets
109,279,000 (1939)
102,000,000 (1950)
119,900,000 (4.0%) (1960) +17.5%
130,404,000 (3.5%) (1970) +8.8%
139,000,000 (3.1%) (1980) +6.6%
148,300,000 (2.8%) (1990) +6.7%
146,600,000 (2.4%) (2000) -1.1%
142,850,000 (2010) -2.6%
144,100,000 (2020)
�+0.9%
Ethnicity, %
|
|
Russian |
Tatar |
Ukrainian |
|
1897 |
44.0 |
|
|
|
1939 |
51.3 |
|
17.4 |
|
1974 |
53.0* |
|
|
|
1989 |
81.5 |
3.0 |
1.2 |
|
2002 |
86.0 |
3.8 |
2.0 |
|
2010 |
81.0 |
3.7 |
1.4 |
*of� USSR
Religion, %,
|
|
Christian Orthodox |
Jewish |
Muslim |
No religion |
|
1800 |
|
2.0 |
|
|
|
1900 |
|
4.0* |
|
|
|
1908 |
|
2.3 |
|
|
|
1937 |
|
2.7 |
|
|
|
1947 |
|
2.7 |
|
|
|
1989 |
27.0 |
|
|
|
|
2010 |
43.5 |
0.1 |
6.5 |
13.0 |
*This represents ca. 5 million Jews. A further 1 million Jews had emigrated
over the 19th century.
Birth and death rates Below replacement rate = 2.1
(E) = Russian Empire, (R) = Russia, (U) = USSR
|
|
Fertility Rate |
Birth Rate |
Infant Mortality |
Death Rate |
% Aged Under 15 |
% Aged Over 65 |
% Urban |
|
1800(E) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.7 |
|
1850(E) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.3 |
|
1860(E) |
|
|
|
37.1 |
|
|
|
|
1880(E) |
|
|
267.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
1900(E) |
|
|
|
31.2 |
35.0* |
|
12.9 |
|
1913(E) |
|
|
273.0 |
|
|
|
14.7 |
|
1926(U) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
17.8 |
|
1937(U) |
|
|
150.0 |
|
|
|
32.0 |
|
1940(U) |
|
|
184.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
1950(U) |
|
26.9 |
81.0 |
|
30.1 |
6.0 |
42.5 |
|
1960(U) |
|
24.9 (+17.7) |
36.0 |
7.2 |
|
|
50.1 |
|
1962(U) |
2.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1962(R) |
|
21.0 (+12.9) |
|
8.1 |
30.6 |
6.3 |
55.5 |
|
1965(U) |
|
18.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1968(U) |
2.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1970(U) |
|
|
29.0 |
9.4 |
|
|
62.3 |
|
1972(R) |
2.0 |
15.3 (+6.0) |
28.6 |
9.3 |
24.7 |
8.2 |
64.1 |
|
1980(R) |
1.9 |
16.0 (+5.0) |
23.2 |
11.0 |
21.6 |
10.3 |
69.8 |
|
1990(R) |
1.9 |
13.0 (+1.8) |
18.5 |
11.2 |
22.9 |
10.3 |
73.4 |
|
1990(U) |
2.0 |
16.8 (+5.8) |
21.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
1995(U) |
1.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2000(R) |
1.2 |
9.0 (-6.3) |
17.0 |
15.3 |
18.2 |
12.4 |
73.4 |
|
2010(R) |
1.6 |
12.5 (-1.7) |
9.0 |
14.2 |
14.9 |
13.1 |
73.7 |
|
2015(R) |
1.8 |
13.3 (+0.3) |
7.3 |
13.0 |
16.8 |
13.5 |
74.0 |
|
2017(R) |
1.8 |
12.9 (0.0) |
6.5 |
12.9 |
|
|
|
|
2018(R) |
|
|
6.1 |
|
17.9 |
14.7 |
74.4 |
|
|
Fertility Rate |
Birth Rate |
Infant Mortality |
Death Rate |
% Aged Under 15 |
% Aged Over 65 |
% Urban |
*European Russia only
Life expectancy, (Russia)
44.5 (1930); 42.0 (M), 47.0 (F)
64.1 (1952)
66.1 (1960); 62.1 (M), 70.2 (F)
68.1 (1970); 63.1 (M), 73.4 (F)
67.0 (1980); 61.4 (M), 73.0 (F)
68.9 (1990); 63.7 (M), 74.3 (F)
65.5 (2000); 59.0 (M), 72.3 (F)
68.8 (2010); 63.1 (M), 74.9 (F)
72.6 (2020); 67.1 (M), 77.8 (F)
Population of principal cities, 1,000s
|
|
MOSCOW |
Nizhny Novgorod |
Novosibirsk1 |
Omsk2 |
St Petersburg3 |
|
1750 |
161 |
|
|
|
138 |
|
1850 |
373 |
|
|
|
502 |
|
1860 |
390 |
|
|
|
520 |
|
1880 |
|
|
|
31 |
918 |
|
1890 |
820 |
|
|
55 |
1,035 |
|
1897 |
1,039 |
|
8 |
|
1,133 |
|
1900 |
989 |
|
38 |
|
1,439 |
|
1914 |
|
|
|
|
2,100 |
|
1920 |
|
|
100 |
|
722* |
|
1939 |
4,137 |
|
|
281 |
3,191 |
|
1959 |
5,032 |
|
887 |
579 |
2,900 |
|
1970 |
6,700 |
|
|
|
3,512 |
|
1980 |
8,100 |
|
1,343 |
1,044 |
4,676 |
|
1990 |
8,900 |
1,438 |
1,437 |
1,140 |
5,004 |
|
2002 |
10,130 |
1,311 |
1,426 |
1,130 |
4,160 |
|
2010 |
10,452 |
1,251 |
1,438 |
1,154 |
4,880 |
|
2017 |
17,100 MA |
|
|
|
5,323 |
1Novosibirsk was founded in 1893 when the Trans-Siberian
Railway was built over the River Ob at this point.
2Omsk was a Russian frontier fort, established in 1716
3 Petersburg was previously known as Leningrad and, before 1924, Petrograd.
*Reduction in population due to World War One, Russian Revolution, and removal of capital city status to Moscow.
Population of principal cities, 1,000s
|
|
Vladivostok |
Yekaterinburg |
|
1897 |
|
43 |
|
1926 |
|
140 |
|
1939 |
206 |
423 |
|
1959 |
291 |
779 |
|
1970 |
441 |
1,025 |
|
1990 |
634 |
1,367 |
|
2002 |
595 |
1,290 |
|
2010 |
592 |
1,350 |
Wealth; Gross Domestic Product (nominal values)
|
|
GDP, US$ million |
Total GDP, % of USA |
GDP per capita, US$ |
GDP per capita % of USA |
|
1914 |
7,000 |
15.66 |
41 |
11.87 |
|
1948 |
35,000 |
|
181 |
|
|
1966 |
200,000 |
35.53 |
890 |
|
|
1976 |
708,500 |
43.33 |
|
|
|
1990 |
516,800 |
8.91 |
6,685 |
27.91 |
|
1995 |
395,500 |
5.34 |
2,273 |
7.56 |
|
2000 |
246,740 |
2.48 |
1,777 |
4.88 |
|
2005 |
763,700 |
5.83 |
5,300 |
11.96 |
|
2010 |
1,465,000 |
9.79 |
10,675 |
22.07 |
|
2015 |
1,366,000 |
7.57 |
9,330 |
16.60 |
|
2016 |
1,283,000 |
6.91 |
8,750 |
15.23 |
GDP by primary sector (USSR) (Russia)
|
|
Agriculture % GDP |
Agriculture % employed |
Industry % GDP |
Industry % employed |
Services % GDP |
Services % employed |
|
1930 |
|
80.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
1940 |
|
60.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
1950 |
46.0 |
56.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
1960 |
|
42.0 |
|
20.0 |
|
22.0 |
|
1980 |
|
|
|
45.0 |
23.0 |
41.0 |
|
1990 |
21.0 |
20.0 |
56.0 |
39.0 |
|
|
|
1990 |
7.0 |
20.0 |
39.0 |
46.0 |
53.0 |
34.0 |
|
2000 |
6.9 |
11.0 |
37.5 |
28.0 |
55.6 |
61.0 |
|
2010 |
4.2 |
10.0 |
33.8 |
31.9 |
62.0 |
58.1 |
|
2016 |
4.7 |
9.4 |
32.5 |
27.6 |
62.1 |
63.0 |
Communications
Language Official, Russian
|
|
Belarusian |
Russian |
Tatar |
Ukrainian |
|
1990 |
1.0 |
83.0 |
4.0 |
3.0 |
Literacy
32.7% (1897)
38.3% (1900)
43.0% (1917)
56.0% (1926); 73.0% (M), 39.0% (F)
87.0% (1939); 95.0% (M), 79.0% (F)*
99.0% (1960)
99.0% (1980)
99.6% (2000); 99.7% (M), 99.4% (F)
99.7% (2015); 99.7% (M), 99.6% (F)
*Figures possibly inflated for political reasons.
1920; ethnic literacies; Russians, 45.0%, but Chechen, Kirghiz, Tajik, Turkmen, Uzbek, all around 5.0%
Physical communications � roads Russia, USSR
|
|
Roads (km) |
Surfaced (km) |
Motor vehicles |
Cars |
Commercial Vehicles |
|
1941 |
1,500,000 |
145,000 |
|
|
|
|
1955 |
|
206,900 |
|
225,000 |
|
|
1959 |
|
|
|
575,000 |
3,145,000 |
|
1962 |
1,365,000 |
348,000 |
|
|
|
|
1979 |
|
770,000 |
|
|
|
|
1980 |
|
336,000 |
|
|
|
|
1986 |
1,586,416 |
|
21,500,000 |
12,500,000 |
|
|
1990 |
624,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
1995 |
945,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
2000 |
950,000 |
|
|
20,353,000 |
4,400,600 |
|
2002 |
952,000 |
752,000 |
|
|
|
|
2007 |
|
|
35,455,000 |
29,249,000 |
4,730,000 |
|
2010 |
993,667 |
780,000 |
40,661,000 |
|
|
|
2012 |
1,283,387 |
927,721 |
45,422,000 |
|
|
|
2016 |
|
|
49,700,000 |
40,629,200 |
|
Railways; First railway opened 1837, Moscow-St Petersburg line opened 1851.
Length, kilometres, (% electrified)
Russian Empire,
27 (1840)
174 (1850)
1,077 (1860)
8,423 (1870)
17,716 (1880)
23,429 (1890)
44,510 (1900)
55,197 (1910)
Soviet Union,
71,626 (1920)
77,893 (1930)
106,146 (1940)
116,926 (1950)
120,700 (1955) (4.5% e)
129,300 (1965)
133,600 (1969)
141,800 (1981) (29.9% e)
144,900 (1986) (33.4% e)
Russia
76,570 (1969)
82,030 (1980)
86,079 (1992)
86,200 (2002) (46.2% e)
87,157 (2006)
87,157* (2014) (46.2% e)
*There
are also an additional 30,000 km of private industrial lines.
Urban metro systems, kilometres (year opened)
|
|
Kazan (2005) |
Moscow (1935)* |
Nizhny Novgorod (1985) |
Novo- sibirsk (1986) |
St Petersburg (1955) |
Samara (1987) |
Yekaterinburg (1991) |
|
1965 |
|
96.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2002 |
|
265.0 |
11.7 |
13.0 |
110.2 |
9.0 |
8.6 |
|
2010 |
8.0 |
|
15.3 |
14.3 |
110.2 |
10.2 |
8.6 |
|
2012 |
|
309.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2015 |
15.8 |
346.2 |
18.8 |
15.5 |
113.2 |
12.7 |
12.7 |
Electronic communications, (R) = Russia, (U) = USSR, TV broadcasting began 1931.
|
|
Telephones 1,000s |
Mobile Telephones |
Radios 1,000s |
Televisions 1,000s |
PCs 1,000s |
Internet Users |
|
1950(U) |
|
|
11,452 |
|
|
|
|
1955(U) |
|
|
|
820 |
|
|
|
1959(U) |
2,500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1960(U) |
|
|
40,818 |
5,000 |
|
|
|
1962(U) |
3,167 |
|
|
8,300 |
|
|
|
1965(U) |
|
|
|
12,100 |
|
|
|
1968(U) |
|
|
|
25,000 |
|
|
|
1971(U) |
|
|
|
39,300 |
|
|
|
1980(U) |
23,700 |
|
65,000 |
64,300 |
|
|
|
1988(R) |
|
|
|
|
250 |
|
|
1990(R) |
20,700 |
|
55,000 |
53,078 |
500 |
|
|
1991(R) |
|
300 |
|
|
|
|
|
1995(R) |
|
89,000 |
58,000 |
56,000 |
2,600 |
|
|
1998(R) |
|
|
|
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
2000(R) |
|
3,263,000 |
61,100 |
79,000 |
9,300 |
|
|
2002(R) |
32,070 |
|
|
|
|
18,500,000 |
|
2005(R) |
|
|
|
|
17,400 |
21,800,000 |
|
2009(R) |
44,802 |
230,500,000 |
|
|
|
40,853,000 |
|
2016(R) |
32,277 |
231,394,000 |
|
|
|
108,770,000 |
|
2017(R) |
|
|
|
|
|
109,550,000 |
Tourism: Visitors to Russia,
Soviet Union,
2,316,984 (1972)
2,909,158 (1973)
3,446,933 (1974)
3,690,751 (1976)
5,246,000 (1987)
7,200,000 (1990)
Russia,
10,290,000 (1995)
21,169,000 (2000)
22,201,000 (2005)
22,281,000 (2010)
33,729,000 (2015)