Population of Voronezh and the Voronezh Region: Rosstat data by year
As of January 1, 2024, 1,046,425 people lived in Voronezh. This is the latest published Rosstat estimate for the city: data for January 1, 2025 and 2026 for cities is not yet available on the website. Voronezh remains a city with a population of over a million and ranks 14th in Russia, between Omsk and Perm. Since the 2002 census, it has grown by 23%, but lost 5,570 people over the last year. Meanwhile, the Voronezh Region has been decreasing for longer and more significantly: as of January 1, 2025, 2,260,045 people lived there.
Below is the city's population by year, its neighbors on the list, the region's population since 2012, where the decline comes from, and what the latest birth rate data shows. All charts open on the website in an interactive format.
How many people live in Voronezh
The census is marked in the row, the rest are Rosstat estimates as of January 1.
| Date | Thousand people |
|---|---|
| 2002 Census | 849 |
| 2010 Census | 890 |
| 2021 Census | 1,058 |
| January 1, 2022 | 1,049 |
| January 1, 2023 | 1,052 |
| January 1, 2024 | 1,046 |
From 2002 to 2010, Voronezh added 41 thousand people, and between the 2010 and 2021 censuses, another 168 thousand. After the census, the estimate decreased slightly: by 12 thousand people from the census figure to January 1, 2024.
View the population of all Russian cities with 100 thousand inhabitants or more →
In the exact numbers of the Rosstat bulletin: as of January 1, 2023, 1,051,995 people lived in Voronezh, and as of January 1, 2024, 1,046,425. The difference is 5,570 people, or 0.5%. The average annual population for 2023 was 1,049,210.
Where Voronezh ranks among Russian cities
In the Rosstat bulletin as of January 1, 2024, there are 16 cities with a population of over one million. Voronezh is 14th on the list, towards the end.
| Rank | City | People as of January 1, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Krasnodar | 1,138,654 |
| 13 | Omsk | 1,104,485 |
| 14 | Voronezh | 1,046,425 |
| 15 | Perm | 1,026,908 |
| 16 | Volgograd | 1,018,898 |
There are 58 thousand people to Omsk, and 19,517 to Perm. Perm has hardly changed over the year, while Voronezh has lost 5,570, so the margin above it is small and is not maintained by growth. Volgograd is behind by 27,527 people.
Open the table of cities with over one million people →
The full list is analyzed in the article "Largest cities in Russia by population".
Voronezh and its neighbors in the Black Earth Region
There are several regional centers located near Voronezh, and they have been less fortunate. Voronezh has grown by 23.2% since 2002. Among the cities in the table, only Krasnodar grew faster, adding 76.3%.
| City | 2002, thousand | January 1, 2024, thousand | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Krasnodar | 646 | 1,139 | +76.3% |
| Voronezh | 849 | 1,046 | +23.2% |
| Rostov-on-Don | 1,068 | 1,140 | +6.7% |
| Kursk | 412 | 437 | +6.1% |
| Saratov | 873 | 887 | +1.6% |
| Volgograd | 1,011 | 1,019 | +0.8% |
| Ryazan | 522 | 521 | −0.2% |
| Belgorod | 337 | 328 | −2.7% |
| Tula | 481 | 462 | −4.0% |
| Lipetsk | 506 | 485 | −4.2% |
| Penza | 518 | 488 | −5.8% |
| Oryol | 333 | 292 | −12.3% |
| Tambov | 294 | 256 | −12.9% |
| Bryansk | 432 | 373 | −13.7% |
Oryol, Tambov, and Bryansk have each lost approximately one-eighth of their residents, while Voronezh has grown by almost a quarter over the same years.
Russian cities with 100 thousand residents or more, including all of Voronezh's neighbors →
Population of the Voronezh Region by year
The region grew slowly and for a short time. From 2012 to 2017, it added 10.7 thousand people and reached 2,343.4 thousand. Then a decline began, which has not stopped since.
Population as of January 1, thousand people.
| Year | Voronezh Region |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 2,332.7 |
| 2015 | 2,336.4 |
| 2017 | 2,343.4 |
| 2020 | 2,336.3 |
| 2021 | 2,319.1 |
| 2022 | 2,302.6 |
| 2023 | 2,285.3 |
| 2024 | 2,273.4 |
| 2025 | 2,260.0 |
From the 2017 peak, the region has lost 83.4 thousand people, or 3.6%. If calculated from 2012, it is a decrease of 3.1%. The most difficult years were 2021, 2022, and 2023: 16–17 thousand people per year.
Neighbors in the Chernozem region lost significantly more between 2012 and 2024. The Voronezh Region decreased by 2.5%, the Belgorod Region by 2.3%, and the Rostov Region by 2.6%. The Lipetsk Region lost 4.4%, the Kursk Region 5.4%, and the Saratov Region 5.2%. The worst off are the Oryol Region (−11.3%) and the Tambov Region (−11.6%).
Population of all regions since 2012 →
Why the region's population is decreasing
In 2024, the region lost 13,372 people, or 0.59%. The reason is natural decline: there were 17,692 more deaths than births. Migration partially offset this: there were 4,320 more arrivals than departures.
The million-plus city is also shrinking, but not significantly: as of January 1, 2024, Voronezh accounted for 46.0% of the region's residents. The region's urban population decreased by 8,389 people in 2024, to 1,548,220. Natural decline in cities was 10,198, with a migration increase of 1,809. This means that rural areas accounted for 4,983 people of the 13,372 decline. As of January 1, 2025, 68.5% of the region's population lived in cities, and 711,825 people lived in rural areas.
Population size and components of its change for 2024 →
Birth and death rates
In 2023, 16,403 children were born in the region and 32,660 people died. Per thousand inhabitants, there were 7.2 births and 14.3 deaths, a decline of 7.1. There were twice as many deaths as births.
In January–February 2025, the birth rate fell to 6.7 per thousand inhabitants from 7.1 a year earlier. The death rate also decreased, to 15.3 from 16.4, and the decline narrowed from 9.3 to 8.6 per thousand. Across Russia, the decline for the same months was 5.0, meaning it is almost twice as high in the region.
Birth and death rates by region for January–February 2025 →
How many elderly people are in the region
At the beginning of 2024, there were 605.6 thousand people above working age, 26.6% of the population. In 2012, their share was 26.5%, and by 2019 it had grown to 29.2% (683 thousand people). It then fell to 28.2% in 2020 and 27.1% in 2022. This coincided with the increase in the retirement age, which kept some people in the working-age group. The share is now almost the same as in 2012, but the region has not become younger because of this.
Population by age, sex, and constituent entities →
What else can be viewed regarding the Voronezh Region
Population size is linked to employment and income. The average accrued monthly salary in the region in 2025 was 75,525 rubles, while in 2018 it was 31,207. Trends are available on the wages in the Voronezh Region page, and how long local residents live can be seen on the life expectancy page.
Questions and answers
How many people live in Voronezh in 2026?
The latest published estimate refers to January 1, 2024: 1,046,425 people. There is no data for cities for later dates on the website yet.
What place does Voronezh occupy in terms of population size?
14th in Russia as of January 1, 2024, between Omsk and Perm. It is one of the 16 cities with a population of over a million.
How many people live in the Voronezh Region?
As of January 1, 2025, 2,260,045 people. A year ago it was 2,273,417, meaning the population decreased by 13,372 people.
Why is the population of the Voronezh Region decreasing?
More people are dying than are being born: in 2024, the difference was 17,692 people. Migration provides a plus of 4,320, but this is not enough.
In brief
- In Voronezh, as of January 1, 2024, 1,046,425 people lived there, ranking 14th in Russia. In 2023, the city lost 5,570 people.
- Since the 2002 census, Voronezh has grown by 23.2%, while many neighbors in the Chernozem region have decreased: Oryol, Tambov, and Bryansk by 12–14%.
- The Voronezh Region reached its maximum in 2017 (2,343.4 thousand) and has since lost 3.6%, down to 2,260,045 people as of January 1, 2025.
- The main reason for the decline is natural: in 2023, there were 7.1 more deaths per thousand residents than births. Migration provides a small plus.