Population of Rostov-on-Don and Rostov Oblast: Rosstat data by year
As of 1 January 2024, 1 140 487 people lived in Rostov-on-Don. In terms of number of residents this makes it the 11th city in Russia: it follows Samara directly and is ahead of Krasnodar by only 1 833 people. In the whole Rostov Oblast, as of 1 January 2025 Rosstat counted 4 137 335 residents, and it ranks sixth in the country by population. The city grows slowly, while the region loses people: in 2024 the decline was 15 183 people.
Below are the figures by year, Rostov's place among million‑plus cities, other cities of the region, births, deaths and migrations. All charts can be opened on the website in interactive form.
How many people live in Rostov-on-Don
The first two rows are taken from censuses, the rest from Rosstat estimates as of 1 January.
| Date | Thousand people |
|---|---|
| 2002 Census, 9 October | 1 068 |
| 2010 Census, 14 October | 1 089 |
| 1 January 2023 | 1 136 |
| 1 January 2024 | 1 140 |
Since the 2002 census the city added 72 thousand residents, which is 6.7%. Rostov was already a million‑plus city then and has grown steadily since, without jumps. In 2023 the increase was about 4 thousand people, and the average annual population for that year was 1 138 228.
More than a quarter of the oblast's population lives in Rostov-on-Don: 27.5% as of 1 January 2024.
There are no more recent city data. In a footnote to the table Rosstat writes that information for 1 January 2025 is temporarily not published, referring to part 10 of article 5 of the law on official statistical accounting. Regional figures for 2025 have been released, city figures have not.
View the population of all Russian cities with 100 thousand residents →
Rostov-on-Don among cities with a population of over a million
As of January 1, 2024, there were 16 cities in Russia with a population of one million or more. Rostov is eleventh on this list. It is 18,465 residents short of Samara in tenth place, and Krasnodar in twelfth place is less than two thousand behind.
The main story here is the proximity to Krasnodar. In 2002, 646 thousand people lived in Krasnodar; as of January 1, 2024, there were already 1,139 thousand. Over the same period, Rostov grew from 1,068 to 1,140 thousand. In 2023 alone, Krasnodar added about 18 thousand residents, and Rostov about 4 thousand. In terms of average annual population for 2023, Rostov is still ahead: 1,138,228 versus 1,129,973. Whether the order has changed by 2025 cannot yet be verified using official data: figures for cities as of that date have not been published.
Open the table of cities with a population of over a million →
A full analysis of the largest cities, who among them is growing and who is losing residents, is available in the article "Russia's largest cities by population".
Population of the Rostov Region by year
Number of people as of January 1, thousand people.
| Year | Thousand people |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 4,264.0 |
| 2014 | 4,255.7 |
| 2016 | 4,253.7 |
| 2018 | 4,245.3 |
| 2020 | 4,229.5 |
| 2021 | 4,216.6 |
| 2022 | 4,192.3 |
| 2023 | 4,164.5 |
| 2024 | 4,152.5 |
| 2025 | 4,137.3 |
From 2012 to 2025, the region lost almost 127 thousand residents, about 3%. Until 2017, the decline was barely noticeable, a few thousand people per year. Then it accelerated, and the population decreased the most in 2021 and 2022: by 24.3 and 27.8 thousand. In 2023, minus 12 thousand, in 2024, minus 15.2 thousand.
Even with the decline, the region remains one of the most populous. As of January 1, 2025, only Moscow, the Moscow Region, the Krasnodar Territory, St. Petersburg, and the Sverdlovsk Region have more people. The Rostov Region accounts for 2.8% of Russia's population and 24.9% of the Southern Federal District. Its neighbors in the district are moving in different directions: the Krasnodar Territory grew by 9,236 people in 2024, while the Volgograd Region lost 19,852.
Population of all regions since 2012 →
Why the region's population is shrinking
The population changes for two reasons: the difference between births and deaths (natural increase or decrease) and the difference between those arriving and those leaving (migration increase). In the Rostov Region, the second component is positive, while the first is negative and significantly larger.
| Year | Natural decrease | Migration increase | Annual total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | −28,288 | +11,953 | −16,335 |
| 2023 | −21,941 | +9,912 | −12,029 |
| 2024 | −23,644 | +8,461 | −15,183 |
In 2023, arrivals covered 45.2% of the natural decrease, and in 2024, about 36%. Relocation to the region continues, but the numbers are decreasing, and they cannot bridge the gap between births and deaths.
This gap itself is large. In 2022, 32,598 children were born in the region, while 60,174 people died. In 2023, 32,171 were born and 54,112 died: for every birth, there were 1.7 deaths. Calculated per thousand inhabitants, this is 7.7 births and 13 deaths.
The most recent monthly data on the website refers to January–February 2025. The birth rate in the region for these two months was 7.8 per thousand inhabitants against 7.7 a year earlier; the death rate decreased from 14.6 to 14.2. The natural decrease was 6.4 per thousand, compared to the Russian average of 5.0.
Births, deaths, and natural increase by region →
Other cities of the Rostov Region
Besides Rostov, there are six cities in the region with more than 100 thousand residents. Together with the regional center, these seven cities were home to 2,153,808 people as of January 1, 2024, nearly 52% of the region's total population.
If compared to the 2002 census, only Bataysk is growing among them: from 107 to 125 thousand, plus 17%. It adjoins Rostov from the southern bank of the Don and is growing along with it. Over the same period, Taganrog decreased from 282 to 242 thousand, and Novocherkassk from 171 to 161 thousand. Shakhty and Volgodonsk have remained almost unchanged (223 and 221 thousand, 166 and 164 thousand), and Novoshakhtinsk is holding at the threshold of 101 thousand.
There are more rural residents in the region than the national average. According to Rosstat data on population and migration for 2023, 67.8% of its population lives in cities, while the Russian average is 74.9%. For every thousand urban residents in the region, there are 476 rural residents, compared to 336 for the country as a whole.
Share of urban and rural population by region →
Who lives in the Rostov Region: 2020 Census
The 2020 All-Russian Census counted 4,200,729 people in the region. Of these, 3,933,019 indicated their ethnicity, and the shares below are calculated based on this number.
| Ethnicity | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Russians | 3,606,327 | 91.7% |
| Armenians | 86,265 | 2.2% |
| Turks | 40,450 | 1.0% |
| Ukrainians | 26,000 | 0.7% |
| Cossacks | 21,304 | 0.5% |
| Roma | 14,625 | 0.4% |
| Chechens | 14,316 | 0.4% |
21,304 people identified as Cossacks, and they have their own row in the census table.
It is more interesting to see where everyone lives. Two-thirds of Russians are urban dwellers: 2,454,313 people in cities and 1,152,014 in rural areas. Armenians are split almost equally, with 42,936 and 43,329. However, for a number of the region's ethnic groups, there is a significant majority living in rural areas: out of 40,450 Turks, 38,282 live in rural areas; out of 14,316 Chechens, 12,512; and out of 14,625 Roma, 9,945. Among Cossacks, 12,692 out of 21,304 people live in rural areas.
Ethnic composition of the Rostov Region according to the census →
Questions and answers
How many people live in Rostov-on-Don in 2025?
The latest published estimate refers to January 1, 2024: 1,140,487 people. Rosstat is temporarily not publishing city-level figures for January 1, 2025.
Is Rostov-on-Don a city with a population of over a million?
Yes. The 2002 census already counted 1,068 thousand residents in the city. As of January 1, 2024, it is the 11th out of 16 Russian cities with a population of over a million.
Where are there more people, in Rostov or in Krasnodar?
As of January 1, 2024, there are 1,833 more people in Rostov-on-Don. But Krasnodar is growing faster: in 2023, it added about 18 thousand residents, while Rostov added about 4 thousand.
How many people live in the Rostov Region?
As of January 1, 2025, there are 4,137,335 people. This is the sixth most populous region in Russia.
Why is the region's population decreasing if people are moving there?
Because more people die than are born: in 2023, there were 1.7 deaths for every birth. Migration in 2024 offset a little more than a third of this decline.
How does Rosstat calculate the population between censuses?
It takes the results of the last census and adds births and arrivals each year, and subtracts deaths and departures. After a new census, the entire series is recalculated. Therefore, in old collections, the population of the region as of January 1, 2020, is recorded as 4,197,821 people, while in the recalculated series it is 4,229.5 thousand.
In brief
- As of January 1, 2024, 1,140,487 people lived in Rostov-on-Don, ranking 11th among cities with a population of over a million.
- Krasnodar is behind by 1,833 residents, but in 2023 it added about 18 thousand people compared to 4 thousand in Rostov.
- As of January 1, 2025, there are 4,137,335 people in the Rostov Region, ranking sixth in the country.
- Since 2012, the region has lost about 127 thousand residents: there are almost 1.7 times more deaths than births, and arrivals cover only part of the difference.
- Of the region's large cities, only Bataysk has grown since 2002, while Taganrog has lost 40 thousand.