
Largest cities in Russia 2015
Population and workforce of Russia
Russia is the largest country in the world; with a total population of around 144 million people (263767), it is the ninth most populous nation worldwide. It is also ranked first among the geographically largest countries in the world. Although Russia’s total population has remained relatively stable in the last couple of years, it has been slightly increasing year-over-year since 2007. Given the massive area of land Russia encompasses, there is a relatively low population density. Also, more than half of the population lives in urban areas, due to better employment opportunities and services options.
The most populous city in Russia is Moscow, followed by St. Petersburg. Because more than 71 percent of the Russian population is between 15 and 64 years old, it is advantageous to live in a big, industrialized city in order to obtain jobs. Russia has one of the lowest unemployment rates in comparison to major industrial and emerging countries, and most of its workforce is employed in the industry and services sector, which are mainly located near or in urban areas as well.