Russia is the largest country in the world by far, with a total area of just over 17 million square kilometers. After Antarctica, the next three countries are Canada, the U.S., and China; all between 9.5 and 10 million square kilometers. The figures given include internal water surface area (such as lakes or rivers) - if the figures were for land surface only then China would be the second largest country in the world, the U.S. third, and Canada (the country with more lakes than the rest of the world combined) fourth. Russia Russia has a population of around 145 million people, putting it in the top ten most populous countries in the world, and making it the most populous in Europe. However, it's vast size gives it a very low population density, ranked among the bottom 20 countries. Most of Russia's population is concentrated in the west, with around 75 percent of the population living in the European part, while around 75 percent of Russia's territory is in Asia; the Ural Mountains are considered the continental border. Elsewhere in the world Beyond Russia, the world's largest countries all have distinctive topographies and climates setting them apart. The United States, for example, has climates ranging from tundra in Alaska to tropical forests in Florida, with various mountain ranges, deserts, plains, and forests in between. Populations in these countries are often concentrated in urban areas, and are not evenly distributed across the country. For example, around 85 percent of Canada's population lives within 100 miles of the U.S. border; around 95 percent of China lives east of the Heihe–Tengchong Line that splits the country; and the majority of populations in large countries such as Australia or Brazil live near the coast.

Russia is the largest country in Europe, and also the largest in the world, its total size amounting to 17 million square kilometers (km2). It should be noted, however, that over three quarters of Russia is located in Asia, and the Ural mountains are often viewed as the meeting point of the two continents in Russia; nonetheless, European Russia is still significantly larger than any other European country. Ukraine, the second largest country on the continent, is only 603,000 km2, making it about 28 times smaller than its eastern neighbor, or seven times smaller than the European part of Russia. France is the third largest country in Europe, but the largest in the European Union. The Vatican City, often referred to as the Holy Sea, is both the smallest country in Europe and in the world, at just one km2. Population Russia is also the most populous country in Europe. It has around 144 million inhabitants across the country; in this case, around three quarters of the population live in the European part, which still gives it the largest population in Europe. Despite having the largest population, Russia is a very sparsely populated country due to its size and the harsh winters. Germany is the second most populous country in Europe, with 83 million inhabitants, while the Vatican has the smallest population. Worldwide, India and China are the most populous countries, with approximately 1.4 billion inhabitants each. Cities Moscow in Russia is ranked as the most populous city in Europe with around 13 million inhabitants, although figures vary, due to differences in the methodologies used by countries and sources. Some statistics include Istanbul in Turkey* as the largest city in Europe with its 15 million inhabitants, bit it has been excluded here as most of the country and parts of the city is located in Asia. Worldwide, Tokyo is the most populous city, with Jakarta the second largest and Delhi the third.

The average for 2021 based on 196 countries was 656013 sq. km. The highest value was in Russia: 16376870 sq. km and the lowest value was in Monaco: 2 sq. km. The indicator is available from 1961 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Russia was the largest country in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region, with a total area of over 17 million square kilometers in 2025. Furthermore, Russia was the largest country in the world, followed by Canada, the United States, and China. Ranking second among the CIS countries was Kazakhstan, whose land area comprised about 2.7 million square kilometers.

This horizontal bar chart displays population (people) by continent using the aggregation sum in Russia. The data is about countries per year.

Russia's total Imports in 2021 were valued at US$293.50 Billion, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. Russia's main import partners were: China, Germany and the United States. The top three import commodities were: Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers; Electrical, electronic equipment and Vehicles other than railway, tramway. Total Exports were valued at US$492.31 Billion. In 2021, Russia had a trade surplus of US$198.82 Billion.

This horizontal bar chart displays male population (people) by region using the aggregation sum in Russia. The data is about countries per year.

This horizontal bar chart displays agricultural land (km²) by currency using the aggregation sum in Russia. The data is about countries per year.

Russia's total Exports in 2021 were valued at US$492.31 Billion, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. Russia's main export partners were: China, the Netherlands and Germany. The top three export commodities were: Mineral fuels, oils, distillation products; Commodities not specified according to kind and Pearls, precious stones, metals, coins. Total Imports were valued at US$293.50 Billion. In 2021, Russia had a trade surplus of US$198.82 Billion.

In 2024, Russia had the largest population among European countries at ***** million people. The next largest countries in terms of their population size were Turkey at **** million, Germany at **** million, the United Kingdom at **** million, and France at **** million. Europe is also home to some of the world’s smallest countries, such as the microstates of Liechtenstein and San Marino, with populations of ****** and ****** respectively. Europe’s largest economies Germany was Europe’s largest economy in 2023, with a Gross Domestic Product of around *** trillion Euros, while the UK and France are the second and third largest economies, at *** trillion and *** trillion euros respectively. Prior to the mid-2000s, Europe’s fourth-largest economy, Italy, had an economy that was of a similar sized to France and the UK, before diverging growth patterns saw the UK and France become far larger economies than Italy. Moscow and Istanbul the megacities of Europe Two cities on the eastern borders of Europe were Europe’s largest in 2023. The Turkish city of Istanbul, with a population of 15.8 million, and the Russian capital, Moscow, with a population of 12.7 million. Istanbul is arguably the world’s most famous transcontinental city with territory in both Europe and Asia and has been an important center for commerce and culture for over 2,000 years. Paris was the third largest European city with a population of ** million, with London being the fourth largest at *** million.

This horizontal bar chart displays median age (year) by region using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Russia. The data is about countries per year.

This horizontal bar chart displays GDP (current US$) by region using the aggregation sum in Russia. The data is filtered where the date is 2021. The data is about countries per year.

Russia Exports: Year to Date: Other Countries data was reported at 2.999 USD bn in Jan 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 50.546 USD bn for Dec 2021. Russia Exports: Year to Date: Other Countries data is updated monthly, averaging 7.683 USD bn from Feb 2004 (Median) to Jan 2022, with 216 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 50.546 USD bn in Dec 2021 and a record low of 420.700 USD mn in Jan 2007. Russia Exports: Year to Date: Other Countries data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Customs Service. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Russian Federation – Table RU.JAA006: Exports: by Main Trading Partners: ytd. Data release delayed due to the Ukraine-Russia conflict. No estimation on next release date can be made.

In 2024, Tajikistan was leading as the country of origin of immigrants in Russia, with nearly ******* people changing their residence to Russia. The leading five origins were former republics of the Soviet Union.

Tajikistan was the leading country of destination of Russian emigrants in 2024, with around ****** people changing their residence to that country. Among countries that were not former Soviet Union states, the major destinations were India, China, and Vietnam.

Russia demonstrated the largest gross domestic product (GDP) in Eurasia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in 2024, at approximately *** trillion U.S. dollars. To compare, Kazakhstan's GDP was measured at around *** billion U.S. dollars in the same year. Tajikistan had the lowest GDP in Eurasia, at ** billion U.S. dollars. Commonwealth of Independent States The CIS is an organization of post-Soviet states founded after the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1991. Its official members are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Energy in the CIS Several countries in the CIS are among the leading energy producers and exporters, such as Russia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. In 2023, the CIS countries exported around *** million barrels of oil daily. The region's overall primary energy consumption exceeded ** exajoules in 2023, which was close to the figure recorded for the Middle East.

Russia's capital, Moscow, was the largest city in the country with over **** million residents as of January 1, 2024. Less than a half of Moscow's population resided in Saint Petersburg, the second-most populous city in the country. The third-largest city, Novosibirsk, was located in the Siberian Federal District, being the highest-populated city in the Asian part of Russia. Why is Moscow so populated? The Russian capital is the center of political, industrial, business, and cultural life in Russia. Despite being one of the most expensive cities worldwide, it continues to attract people from Russia and abroad, with its resident population following a generally upward trend over the past decade. Wages in Moscow are higher than in Russia on average, and more opportunities for employment and investment are available in the capital. Furthermore, the number of people living in Moscow was forecast to continue rising, exceeding **** million by 2035. Urbanization in Russia In 2024, around *** million Russian residents lived in cities. That was approximately three-quarters of the country’s population. The urbanization rate increased steadily over the 20th century, leading to a decline in the rural population. Among the country’s regions, the Northwestern Federal District had the highest share of residents in urban areas, measured at ** percent. In the Central Federal District, the tendency was that more people moved to Moscow and cities in the Moscow Oblast.

Russia Freight & Mail Carried: Air: Year to Date: IF: Non-CIS Countries data was reported at 55,438.580 Ton in Jan 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 855,592.870 Ton for Dec 2018. Russia Freight & Mail Carried: Air: Year to Date: IF: Non-CIS Countries data is updated monthly, averaging 374,178.880 Ton from Sep 2009 (Median) to Jan 2019, with 113 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 858,263.700 Ton in Dec 2017 and a record low of 40,826.940 Ton in Jan 2012. Russia Freight & Mail Carried: Air: Year to Date: IF: Non-CIS Countries data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Agency of Air Transportation (Rosaviation). The data is categorized under Russia Premium Database’s Transport and Telecommunications Sector – Table RU.TE002: Civil Aviation: Main Indicators: ytd.

Russia Bank Lending Tightness: Net Percentage: Loans to Big Corporations data was reported at -12.200 % in Sep 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of -12.000 % for Jun 2016. Russia Bank Lending Tightness: Net Percentage: Loans to Big Corporations data is updated quarterly, averaging 2.000 % from Jun 2009 (Median) to Sep 2016, with 30 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 85.700 % in Dec 2014 and a record low of -58.700 % in Sep 2010. Russia Bank Lending Tightness: Net Percentage: Loans to Big Corporations data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by The Central Bank of the Russian Federation. The data is categorized under Russia Premium Database’s Monetary and Banking Statistics – Table RU.KAC019: Bank Lending Tightness in Russia and Foreign Countries.

Russia RU: Total Population data was reported at 145,845.591 Person th in 2021. This records a decrease from the previous number of 146,459.802 Person th for 2020. Russia RU: Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 145,976.470 Person th from Dec 1981 (Median) to 2021, with 41 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 148,538.190 Person th in 1992 and a record low of 139,221.500 Person th in 1981. Russia RU: Total Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Russian Federation – Table RU.OECD.MSTI: Population, Labour Force and Employment: Non OECD Member: Annual.

In response to Russia's large-scale aggression against Ukraine, the OECD Council decided on 8 March 2022 to immediately suspend the participation of Russia and Belarus in OECD bodies. In view of this decision, the OECD suspended its solicitation of official statistics on R&D from Russian authorities, leading to the absence of more recent R&D statistics for this country in the OECD database. Previously collected and compiled indicators are still available.

The business enterprise sector includes all organisations and enterprises whose main activity is connected with the production of goods and services for sale, including those owned by the state, and private non-profit institutions serving the above-mentioned organisations. In practice however, R&D performed in this sector is carried out mostly by industrial research institutes other than enterprises. This particularity reflects the traditional organisation of Russian R&D.

Headcount data include full-time personnel only, and hence are underestimated, while data in full-time equivalents (FTE) are calculated on the basis of both full-time and part-time personnel. This explains why the FTE data are greater than the headcount data.

New budgetary procedures introduced in 2005 have resulted in items previously classified as GBARD being attributed to other headings and have affected the coverage and breakdown by socio-economic objective.