As of January 1, 2025, ***** million inhabitants lived in Russian cities, opposed to **** million people living in the countryside. The rural population of Russia saw a gradual decrease over the observed time period.

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.

This dataset is about cities in Russia. It has 4,324 rows. It features 3 columns: country, and population.

1117 Russian cities with city name, region, geographic coordinates and 2020 population estimate.

How to use

from pathlib import Path
import requests
import pandas as pd

url = ("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/"
   "epogrebnyak/ru-cities/main/assets/towns.csv")

# save file locally
p = Path("towns.csv")
if not p.exists():
  content = requests.get(url).text
  p.write_text(content, encoding="utf-8")

# read as dataframe
df = pd.read_csv("towns.csv")
print(df.sample(5))

Files:

• towns.csv - city information
• regions.csv - list of Russian Federation regions
• alt_city_names.json - alternative city names

Сolumns (towns.csv):

Basic info:

• city - city name (several cities have alternative names marked in alt_city_names.json)
• population - city population, thousand people, Rosstat estimate as of 1.1.2020
• lat,lon - city geographic coordinates

Region:

• region_name - subnational region (oblast, republic, krai or AO)
• region_iso_code - ISO 3166 code, eg RU-VLD
• federal_district, eg Центральный

City codes:

• okato
• oktmo
• fias_id
• kladr_id

Data sources

• City list and city population collected from Rosstat publication Регионы России. Основные социально-экономические показатели городов and parsed from publication Microsoft Word files.
• City list corresponds to this Wikipedia article.
• Alternative dataset is wiki-based Dadata city dataset (no population data).

Comments

City groups

• Ханты-Мансийский and Ямало-Ненецкий autonomous regions excluded to avoid duplication as parts of Тюменская область.

• Several notable towns are classified as administrative part of larger cities (Сестрорецк is a municpality at Saint-Petersburg, Щербинка part of Moscow). They are not and not reported in this dataset.

By individual city

• Белоозерский not found in Rosstat publication, but should be considered a city as of 1.1.2020

Alternative city names

• We suppressed letter "ё" city columns in towns.csv - we have Орел, but not Орёл. This affected:

  • Белоозёрский
  • Королёв
  • Ликино-Дулёво
  • Озёры
  • Щёлково
  • Орёл

• Дмитриев and Дмитриев-Льговский are the same city.

assets/alt_city_names.json contains these names.

Tests

poetry install
poetry run python -m pytest

How to replicate dataset

1. Base dataset

Run:

• download data stro rar/get.sh
• convert Саратовская область.doc to docx
• run make.py

Creates:

• _towns.csv
• assets/regions.csv

2. API calls

Note: do not attempt if you do not have to - this runs a while and loads third-party API access.

You have the resulting files in repo, so probably does not need to these scripts.

Run:

• cd geocoding
• run coord_dadata.py (needs token)
• run coord_osm.py

Creates:

• coord_dadata.csv
• coord_osm.csv

3. Merge data

Run:

• run merge.py

Creates:

• assets/towns.csv

Dataset

This dataset was created by bluetrain

Released under CC0: Public Domain

Contents

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the Russia town population over the last 20 plus years. It lists the population for each year, along with the year on year change in population, as well as the change in percentage terms for each year. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population change of Russia town across the last two decades. For example, using this dataset, we can identify if the population is declining or increasing. If there is a change, when the population peaked, or if it is still growing and has not reached its peak. We can also compare the trend with the overall trend of United States population over the same period of time.

Key observations

In 2023, the population of Russia town was 2,268, a 0.40% increase year-by-year from 2022. Previously, in 2022, Russia town population was 2,259, a decline of 0.40% compared to a population of 2,268 in 2021. Over the last 20 plus years, between 2000 and 2023, population of Russia town decreased by 219. In this period, the peak population was 2,603 in the year 2011. The numbers suggest that the population has already reached its peak and is showing a trend of decline. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP).

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP).

Data Coverage:

• From 2000 to 2023

Variables / Data Columns

• Year: This column displays the data year (Measured annually and for years 2000 to 2023)
• Population: The population for the specific year for the Russia town is shown in this column.
• Year on Year Change: This column displays the change in Russia town population for each year compared to the previous year.
• Change in Percent: This column displays the year on year change as a percentage. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for Russia town Population by Year. You can refer the same here

Population: SB: Omsk City: Non Working Age: Age 0 to 15 data was reported at 207.600 Person th in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 208.900 Person th for 2018. Population: SB: Omsk City: Non Working Age: Age 0 to 15 data is updated yearly, averaging 173.700 Person th from Dec 2003 (Median) to 2019, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 208.900 Person th in 2018 and a record low of 160.500 Person th in 2007. Population: SB: Omsk City: Non Working Age: Age 0 to 15 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal State Statistics Service. The data is categorized under Russia Premium Database’s Demographic and Labour Market – Table RU.GA022: Population: by City: Siberian Federal District.

Population in the largest city (% of urban population) in Russia was reported at 11.72 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Russia - Population in the largest city - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

Russia Population: Urban data was reported at 109,453,533.000 Person in 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 109,271,229.927 Person for 2017. Russia Population: Urban data is updated yearly, averaging 102,220,000.000 Person from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2018, with 70 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 109,453,533.000 Person in 2018 and a record low of 43,749,000.000 Person in 1949. Russia Population: Urban data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal State Statistics Service. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Russian Federation – Table RU.GA010: Population: Urban: by Region.

Population in largest city in Russia was reported at 12712305 in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Russia - Population in largest city - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

Urban population in Russia was reported at 108436954 in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Russia - Urban population - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) in Russia was reported at 23.88 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Russia - Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

The share of urban population in Russia stood at 75.33 percent in 2023. Between 1960 and 2023, the share rose by 21.6 percentage points, though the increase followed an uneven trajectory rather than a consistent upward trend.

Population: Female: NW: City of St Petersburg data was reported at 3,074,658.000 Person in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 3,074,589.000 Person for 2022. Population: Female: NW: City of St Petersburg data is updated yearly, averaging 2,701,170.000 Person from Dec 1989 (Median) to 2023, with 35 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,078,359.000 Person in 2021 and a record low of 2,563,704.000 Person in 2002. Population: Female: NW: City of St Petersburg data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal State Statistics Service. The data is categorized under Russia Premium Database’s Demographic and Labour Market – Table RU.GA010: Population: Female: by Region.

Urban population (% of total population) in Russia was reported at 75.55 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Russia - Urban population (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

The urban population of Russia increased by **** percent between 2023 and 2024, while the rural population saw a decrease of **** percent in the same period. Significant peaks were recorded for the rural population in 1992 and 2004, when it grew by respective **** and **** percent, partly at the expense of the urban population decline. As for the urban population, the growth rates were strictly negative between 1995 and 2006.

Urban population growth (annual %) in Russia was reported at 0.08422 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Russia - Urban population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the data for the Russia, New York population pyramid, which represents the Russia town population distribution across age and gender, using estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates. It lists the male and female population for each age group, along with the total population for those age groups. Higher numbers at the bottom of the table suggest population growth, whereas higher numbers at the top indicate declining birth rates. Furthermore, the dataset can be utilized to understand the youth dependency ratio, old-age dependency ratio, total dependency ratio, and potential support ratio.

Key observations

• Youth dependency ratio, which is the number of children aged 0-14 per 100 persons aged 15-64, for Russia, New York, is 25.1.
• Old-age dependency ratio, which is the number of persons aged 65 or over per 100 persons aged 15-64, for Russia, New York, is 29.6.
• Total dependency ratio for Russia, New York is 54.7.
• Potential support ratio, which is the number of youth (working age population) per elderly, for Russia, New York is 3.4.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.

Age groups:

• Under 5 years
• 5 to 9 years
• 10 to 14 years
• 15 to 19 years
• 20 to 24 years
• 25 to 29 years
• 30 to 34 years
• 35 to 39 years
• 40 to 44 years
• 45 to 49 years
• 50 to 54 years
• 55 to 59 years
• 60 to 64 years
• 65 to 69 years
• 70 to 74 years
• 75 to 79 years
• 80 to 84 years
• 85 years and over

Variables / Data Columns

• Age Group: This column displays the age group for the Russia town population analysis. Total expected values are 18 and are define above in the age groups section.
• Population (Male): The male population in the Russia town for the selected age group is shown in the following column.
• Population (Female): The female population in the Russia town for the selected age group is shown in the following column.
• Total Population: The total population of the Russia town for the selected age group is shown in the following column.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for Russia town Population by Age. You can refer the same here

Population: SB: Kemerovo Region: Novokuznetsk: Above Working Age data was reported at 130.300 Person th in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 136.000 Person th for 2018. Population: SB: Kemerovo Region: Novokuznetsk: Above Working Age data is updated yearly, averaging 121.400 Person th from Dec 2003 (Median) to 2019, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 136.000 Person th in 2018 and a record low of 105.900 Person th in 2003. Population: SB: Kemerovo Region: Novokuznetsk: Above Working Age data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal State Statistics Service. The data is categorized under Russia Premium Database’s Demographic and Labour Market – Table RU.GA022: Population: by City: Siberian Federal District.

In 2024, the total population of Russia was around 146.1 million people. Only a fraction of them live in the major Russian cities. With almost 12.5 million inhabitants, Moscow is the largest of them. In the upcoming years until 2030, the population was forecast to decline.Russia's economy Russia is one of the major economies in the world and is one of the wealthiest nations. Following the 1998 Russian financial crisis, Russia introduced several structural reforms that allowed for a fast economic recovery. Following these reforms, Russia experienced significant economic growth from the early 2000s and improved living standards in general for the country. A reason for the momentous economical boost was the rise in commodity prices as well as a boom in the total amount of consumer credit. Additionally, Russia is highly dependent on the mining and production of natural resources, primarily in the energy department, in order to promote economic growth in the country. Due to large energy reserves throughout the country, Russia has developed a stable economy capable of sustaining itself for many years into the future. The majority of Russian oil and energy reserves are located in the Western Siberian areas. These natural gas liquids, along with oil reserves that consist of crude oil, shale oil and oil sands are constantly used for the production of consumable oil, which is an annually growing industry in Russia. Oil products are one of Russia’s primary exports and the country is able to profit entirely off of sales due to high prices as well as high demand for such goods.