Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Russian Federation

Russian Federation: Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas was 47.6% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
47.6%
World rank
65th
of 236 countries
All-time high
48.7%
in 1990
All-time low
31.9%
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Russian Federation, 1950–2020

010203040501950198520201950: 31.9 %1955: 34 %1960: 37.3 %1965: 40 %1970: 43.1 %1975: 45.8 %1980: 47.7 %1985: 48.5 %1990: 48.7 %1995: 47.7 %2000: 47.4 %2005: 47.4 %2010: 47.1 %2015: 47.2 %2020: 47.6 %

Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Russian Federation is 47.6%, measured in 2020.

That represents a change of up 0.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Russian Federation peaked at 48.7% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 31.9%, in 1950.

That places Russian Federation 65th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.

Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Russian Federation, year by year

Annual values for Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Russian Federation, 1950 to 2020.
Year % Change
1950 31.9%
1955 34.0% +6.4%
1960 37.3% +9.7%
1965 40.0% +7.4%
1970 43.1% +7.7%
1975 45.8% +6.1%
1980 47.7% +4.3%
1985 48.5% +1.7%
1990 48.7% +0.3%
1995 47.7% -2.1%
2000 47.4% -0.5%
2005 47.4% -0.2%
2010 47.1% -0.5%
2015 47.2% +0.1%
2020 47.6% +0.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 33.0% 31.9% 34.0% 2
1960s 38.7% 37.3% 40.0% 2
1970s 44.5% 43.1% 45.8% 2
1980s 48.1% 47.7% 48.5% 2
1990s 48.2% 47.7% 48.7% 2
2000s 47.4% 47.4% 47.4% 2
2010s 47.2% 47.1% 47.2% 2
2020s 47.6% 47.6% 47.6% 1

Countries ranked near Russian Federation

  1. 62 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 48.7% compare
  2. 63 Panama 48.6% compare
  3. 64 Bangladesh 47.6% compare
  4. 66 Sudan 47.6% compare
  5. 67 Costa Rica 47.5% compare
  6. 68 Mongolia 47.2% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Russian Federation

All data for Russian Federation →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Russian Federation?
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Russian Federation was 47.6% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Russian Federation?
The highest recorded value was 48.7% in 1990.
What is the lowest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Russian Federation?
The lowest recorded value was 31.9% in 1950.
How does Russian Federation rank for share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas?
Russian Federation ranks 65th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas rising or falling in Russian Federation?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Russian Federation data come from?
The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Russian Federation. Statizoid, drawing on European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-living-in-cities-towns-and-villages/russian-federation/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas
Unit
%
Source
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed

Estimated share of the population living in cities. Cities are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.