The natural population decline in Russia in 2024 amounted to at least 545 thousand people, according to the publication "We Can Explain"* from the final report of Rosstat for 2024. In three years of war, only according to official data, 1.6 million more people died in the country than were born. Together with the first two years of COVID, the decline exceeded 3.1 million people.
Russia has been in decline for 8 consecutive years, with the last recorded natural population growth in 2016 (+5.3 thousand people).
In absolute numbers, the Moscow region is dying out the fastest, with a population decline of 23,065 people by the end of 11 months of 2024. The natural population decline in the annexed Crimea and Sevastopol amounted to 13 thousand people.
Positive statistics are noted only in Moscow, the North Caucasus regions, and six other areas. That means out of 85 subjects (Crimea and Sevastopol are included in Rosstat's selection), the population is declining in 72.
The rate of natural population decline has sharply increased over the past three years in regions bordering areas of military action. Most notably in the Rostov region (– 22 thousand residents), Krasnodar Territory (– 20 thousand), and Voronezh region (– 16 thousand).
* Recognized in Russia as a "foreign agent".