Ethnic structure of population in Russia: current trends and the future

Eugeny Soroko, State University Higher School of Economics

What are the basic features of ethnic composition of Russia in the 21 century? We analyze the most significant changes in recent formation of ethnic structure resulting from significant decline of fertility and its ethnic differentiation, scale-down of selected ethnic emigration, and growing immigration of other peoples. The features of mixed marriage formation and changes in migration legislation are considered as well. Sources: USSR and Russia population censuses, 1994 microcensus, annual and monthly statistics of Rosstat. Russia is a multiethnic country the majority of which are the Russians. They are currently about 80 per cent, but gradually depopulating. The total number of ethnicities accounted in the 2002 population census exceeds 190. At least 5 parts may be distinguished: peoples of Russia, peoples of the ex-USSR republics, Asian peoples, Germans and Jews, European ethnicities. More detailed analysis tries to answer the questions about the future ethnic composition of Russia’s population.