Population of Russia 1960-2023, by gender

The gap between the number of women and men in Russia was measured at 10.26 million as of January 1, 2023, with the female population of the country historically outnumbering the male population. Both genders saw an increase in inhabitants compared to the previous year.

Why are there more women than men in Russia?

One of the factors explaining gender imbalance in modern Russia is the gap in average life expectancy between genders. In 2021, Russian women outlived men by close to 10 years. In particular, working-age men were six times more likely to die from external causes of death, such as accidents and suicides, compared to working age women in that year. Furthermore, partial mobilization announced as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war resulted in a mass exodus of young men fleeing from conscription. In response to the government’s call to recruit up to 300,000 reservists in end-September 2022, Google search interest in the term "How to leave Russia" increased sharply.

Gender imbalance and its consequences for Russia

In Russia, the labor market remains highly segregated by gender. Manual jobs in equipment operation, metal industry, manufacturing, and mechanics are male dominated, with over 10 million Russian men employed in those sectors combined as of 2022. The labor shortage in those spheres could limit the country’s potential for increased industrial production. Furthermore, fewer men exacerbate the issue of falling births in Russia. In 2021, only 1.4 million births were recorded nationwide, the lowest over the past decade. Coupled with a decreasing number of working-age men, such decline in live births could lead to less innovation, a larger share of retired people, and rising government expenditure on pensions and healthcare.