Population of Kazan and Tatarstan: Rosstat data by year
As of 1 January 2024, 1 318 604 people lived in Kazan. It is the fifth city in Russia after Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk and Yekaterinburg. In 2002, Kazan was eighth, and since then it has overtaken Omsk, Samara and Nizhny Novgorod. Throughout Tatarstan, as of 1 January 2025 Rosstat counted 4 019 606 residents. In 2024 the republic added 16 590 people and turned out to be the only region of the Volga Federal District where the population grew.
Further, the population of Kazan by year and by censuses, its rank among million‑plus cities, the republic's population since 2012, births, deaths and migrations, other cities of Tatarstan and the ethnic composition. Each chart can be opened on the website in an interactive form.
How many people live in Kazan
The first two rows are taken from censuses, the rest from Rosstat's estimate as of 1 January.
| Date | Thousand people |
|---|---|
| 2002 Census, 9 October | 1 105 |
| 2010 Census, 14 October | 1 144 |
| 1 January 2023 | 1 315 |
| 1 January 2024 | 1 319 |
From 2002 to 2024 Kazan grew by 214 thousand residents, or by 19.4%. Almost all of the increase occurred in the years after the 2010 census: plus 175 thousand. In 2023 the city continued to grow, albeit slowly, by about 4 thousand people.
Kazan is home to 32.9% of Tatarstan's population, roughly one third of the republic's residents.
The latest city figures are not available: data for 1 January 2025 from Rosstat, according to its note, is temporarily unpublished. The regional estimate for 2025 has been released, see below.
View the population of all Russian cities with 100 thousand residents →
What position does Kazan hold among million‑plus cities
According to the 2002 census, seven cities were ahead of Kazan, including Nizhny Novgorod (1 311 thousand), Samara (1 158) and Omsk (1 134). Kazan with 1 105 thousand was eighth. In 2010 the position remained the same. The turning point came over the next 13 years: Kazan added 171 thousand, Samara changed hardly at all, and Nizhny Novgorod decreased.
Now the layout is as follows:
| Position | City | People on 1 January 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Yekaterinburg | 1 536 183 |
| 5 | Kazan | 1 318 604 |
| 6 | Krasnoyarsk | 1 205 473 |
| 7 | Nizhny Novgorod | 1 204 985 |
| 9 | Ufa | 1 163 304 |
| 10 | Samara | 1 158 952 |
Kazan lacks 217 579 residents to reach Yekaterinburg. The sixth, Krasnoyarsk, trails by 113 131 people, Nizhny Novgorod by 113 619.
Of the five cities in the chart, only Kazan and Ufa increased in 2023: Kazan by about 4 thousand, Ufa by about 5. Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Samara decreased slightly.
Open the table of million‑plus cities →
How the other large cities change is discussed in the article "Largest cities of Russia by population".
Population of Tatarstan by Year
Number on 1 January, thousand people.
| Year | Thousand people |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 3,812.4 |
| 2014 | 3,867.6 |
| 2016 | 3,919.1 |
| 2018 | 3,966.8 |
| 2020 | 3,996.4 |
| 2021 | 3,997.7 |
| 2022 | 4,000.1 |
| 2023 | 4,001.6 |
| 2024 | 4,003.0 |
| 2025 | 4,019.6 |
Tatarstan grew every year without interruption. From 2012 to 2025 it added 207 thousand people, 5.4%. But the pace changed a lot. Until 2017 the republic added 24–29 thousand per year, then the growth slowed, and from 2020 to 2023 it was only 1.3–2.4 thousand. In 2024 Tatarstan grew noticeably again, by 16.6 thousand.
By population Tatarstan is eighth among Russian regions. Bashkortostan is still larger, but in 2024 it lost 21,984 residents, and the gap between the neighbours narrowed from 61,345 to 22,771 people. If 2025 turns out the same, Tatarstan will become seventh.
The share of elderly in the republic is slightly below the national average. On 1 January 2024, people older than working age were 935.1 thousand, 23.4%, versus 23.7% in Russia.
Population of all regions since 2012 →
Why Tatarstan is growing while its neighbors are not
Population changes follow two paths: the difference between births and deaths and the difference between those arriving and those leaving. In Tatarstan both operated over the past two years, but in opposite directions.
| Year | Natural decline | Migration gain | Total for the year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | −6,694 | +8,085 | +1,391 |
| 2024 | −9,651 | +26,241 | +16,590 |
Deaths in the republic exceed births, and the annual gap grew by almost 3 thousand. However, the number of newcomers in 2024 was three times higher than a year earlier, covering the natural decline by 2.7 times.
Against the backdrop of the region this looks unusual. The Volga Federal District lost 132,155 residents in 2024, 0.46%. All other 13 regions of the district shrank, most sharply Mordovia and Kirov Oblast. Across Russia the total population changed hardly at all: minus 30,861 people, that is 0.02%.
Among all regions of the country Tatarstan ranks ninth in growth for 2024. The biggest gains were recorded by Moscow, the Moscow region, St. Petersburg, Tyumen and Leningrad Oblasts, Dagestan, Chechnya and Yugra.
Population size and components of its change for 2024 →
Births and deaths in Tatarstan
The natural decline in the republic is the smallest in the district. In 2023 there were 36,398 births and 43,092 deaths. Per thousand residents that is 9.1 births and 10.8 deaths, a decline of 1.7. For Russia the same figures are 8.6, 12.1 and minus 3.5, for the Volga District 8.1, 13.0 and minus 4.9. Births in Tatarstan are the highest in the district, mortality the lowest.
The latest operational data refer to January–February 2025. Births for these two months were 8.6 per thousand versus 8.4 a year earlier, mortality fell from 12.6 to 11.5. Natural decline narrowed from 4.2 to 2.9 per thousand; the national average is 5.0.
Births, deaths and natural increase by region →
Causes of death in the republic
In 2023, 1,077 people per 100 thousand residents died in Tatarstan, compared with 1,206 in Russia. That is 10.7% below the average and lower than almost all major causes. Deaths from diseases of the circulatory system amount to 500 per 100 thousand (Russia 557), from neoplasms 177 (Russia 197), from external causes 91 (Russia 107). Mortality from infectious diseases is half the national level: 8.2 versus 18.4.
There is one exception: diseases of the respiratory system. In the republic 64.5 people per 100 thousand die from them, versus 53.0 nationwide.
How mortality is distributed across the country is examined in the article "Mortality by regions of Russia". How long people live on average in the republic is shown on the page life expectancy in Tatarstan.
Mortality by main causes in each region →
Other cities of Tatarstan
There are four cities in the republic with more than 100 thousand residents. As of January 1, 2024, Nizhnekamsk had 544,383 people, making it the 32nd city in the country. In Nizhnekamsk lived 240 thousand, in Almetyevsk 164 thousand. Together with Kazan, the four cities are home to 56.6% of Tatarstan's population.
All three cities have grown since 2002. Nizhnekamsk added 6.7% (from 510 to 544 thousand), Nizhnekamsk also 6.7% (from 225 to 240 thousand). The fastest-growing was the oil city Almetyevsk: from 140 to 164 thousand, plus 17.1%. In 2023, Nizhnekamsk and Nizhnekamsk slightly decreased, Almetyevsk stayed the same.
According to the 2020 census, 76.8% of Tatarstan's population lived in cities.
Cities of Russia from 500 thousand to a million residents →
Who lives in Tatarstan: the 2020 census
The 2020 All‑Russian Census counted 4,004,809 people in the republic: 2,134,973 women and 1,869,836 men, 1,142 women per thousand men. Nationality was not indicated by 101,442 people, 2.5%, and the shares below are calculated from those who indicated.
| Nationality | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Tatars | 2,091,175 | 53.6% |
| Russians | 1,574,804 | 40.3% |
| Chuvash | 90,474 | 2.3% |
| Kryashens | 25,189 | 0.6% |
| Udmurts | 21,327 | 0.5% |
| Mari | 15,666 | 0.4% |
| Uzbeks | 14,970 | 0.4% |
| Tajiks | 12,541 | 0.3% |
Russians live mainly in cities: 85.3% of them are urban dwellers. For Tatars this share is 71.2%. Chuvash, Kryashens and Udmurts are more than half rural: 56% of Chuvash, 55% of Kryashens and 58% of Udmurts live in villages.
The Tatar language is spoken by 1,547,426 people, that is 39.4% of all who answered the language question. In villages this is 60%, in cities 33%. Of those who speak it, 93.9% use Tatar in everyday life. Russian is spoken by 98.2% of respondents.
National composition of Tatarstan according to the census →
How the national composition of the country as a whole is arranged is explained in the article "Peoples of Russia: national composition".
Questions and Answers
How many people live in Kazan in 2025?
The latest published estimate is for 1 January 2024: 1,318,604 people. Rosstat temporarily does not publish city figures for 1 January 2025.
What rank does Kazan hold by population size?
Fifth, after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk and Yekaterinburg. In 2002 and 2010 Kazan was eighth.
Which is larger, Kazan or Nizhny Novgorod?
Kazan. On 1 January 2024 it had 113,619 more residents. According to the 2002 census it was the opposite: Nizhny Novgorod led Kazan by 206 thousand.
Which is larger, Kazan or Yekaterinburg?
Yekaterinburg, by 217,579 people. Both cities have been growing at roughly the same rate since 2002: Kazan added 214 thousand, Yekaterinburg 242 thousand.
How many people live in Tatarstan?
On 1 January 2025 there were 4,019,606 people. This is the eighth place among the regions of Russia. In 2024 the republic grew by 16,590 people.
Is the population of Tatarstan growing?
Yes, every year since 2012. In 2024 growth was driven by migrants: migration increase was 26,241 people while natural decline was 9,651.
In Brief
- In Kazan on 1 January 2024 lived 1,318,604 people, 5th place among Russian cities.
- Since 2002 the city has grown by 214 thousand and moved up from eighth to fifth place, overtaking Omsk, Samara and Nizhny Novgorod.
- In Tatarstan on 1 January 2025 there were 4,019,606 people. The republic has been growing every year since 2012 and in 2024 was the only region of the Volga Federal District with a net increase.
- Birth rate here is the highest in the district, mortality the lowest, and migrants in 2024 offset natural loss by 2.7 times.
- Nizhnekamsk, Naberezhnye Chelny and Almetyevsk are larger than they were in 2002.