Life expectancy in Russia was 29.6 in the year 1845, and over the course of the next 175 years, it is expected to have increased to 72.3 years by 2020. Generally speaking, Russian life expectancy has increased over this 175 year period, however events such as the World Wars, Russian Revolution and a series of famines caused fluctuations before the mid-twentieth century, where the rate fluctuated sporadically. Between 1945 and 1950, Russian life expectancy more than doubled in this five year period, and it then proceeded to increase until the 1970s, when it then began to fall again. Between 1970 and 2005, the number fell from 68.5 to 65, before it then grew again in more recent years.

In 2022, life expectancy at birth for urban residents in Russia was 73.09 years. For those living in rural areas, it was approximately 71.6 years on average. Both urban and rural populations' average life span figures increased from the previous year. In total, Russians born in 2022 were expected to live roughly 72.7 years. Russia’s life expectancy is lower than in most other European countries and the United States. The Russian government set a national goal to achieve a life expectancy of 78 years by 2030. Change factors As in many other countries, life expectancy in Russia saw a decline in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and an increase in deaths from the disease. Even though the figure has increased since 2022 and exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 2023, the war in Ukraine and mobilization affect the indicator negatively. That particularly holds for men’s life expectancy, which has historically been significantly lower than women’s. Historical development In 2023, life expectancy in Russia was almost 44 years higher than in 1845. Over that period, the indicators experienced a decline during the World Wars, the Russian Revolution of 1917, and a series of famines in the mid-1900s. Moreover, the indicator decreased between 1970 and 1985, in part due to male life expectancy being impacted by alcohol consumption. The 2023 figure was the highest in Russia and the Soviet Union’s history.

A global phenomenon, known as the demographic transition, has seen life expectancy from birth increase rapidly over the past two centuries. In pre-industrial societies, the average life expectancy was around 24 years, and it is believed that this was the case throughout most of history, and in all regions. The demographic transition then began in the industrial societies of Europe, North America, and the West Pacific around the turn of the 19th century, and life expectancy rose accordingly. Latin America was the next region to follow, before Africa and most Asian populations saw their life expectancy rise throughout the 20th century.

The infant mortality rate in Russia, for children under the age of one year old, was over 266 deaths per thousand births in 1870. This means that for all babies born in 1870, over one quarter did not survive past their first birthday. Unfortunately some information is missing in the early twentieth century, during Russia's revolutionary period and again during the Second World War, however it is noticeable that Russia's infant mortality rate fell to one death for every ten babies born in 1955, and from this point the rate has fallen to just six deaths per thousand births today.