Russia has slipped one place in the rating of the world's biggest countries by population and now ranks eighth with 142.8 million inhabitants, the State Statistics Service
The country's population shrank 2.3 million people between 2002 and 2010, according to the final results of last year's nationwide census released Friday.
Russia is trailing China, India, the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan and Bangladesh in population,
The share of the urban population stands at 74 percent, virtually unchanged since the previous census in 2002, but the average Russian's age has grown from 37.7 to 39 years.
Women outnumber men by 10.7 million, but mostly due to a large number of early male deaths.
Russians are the dominant ethnic group with 111 million (80.9 percent of the whole populace), followed by Tatars (5.3 million, 3.8 percent) and Ukrainians (1.9 million, 1.4 percent). The census also brought out some unusual ethnic results, uncovering, among others, 46 Jedis and one "Gnome" in Moscow, Vesti state television
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.