How many square meters of housing per person in Russia
In 2024, there were 29.4 sq. m of total living space per resident in Russia. In 1995, this figure was 18.0 sq. m, meaning that over thirty years, housing availability increased by 63%. Data from Rosstat, housing stock as of year-end.
Below is the full year-by-year series, an unexpected comparison of urban and rural areas, a breakdown of the housing stock by number of rooms, and an explanation of why the average Russian apartment is growing more slowly than it might seem based on new construction.
Housing availability by year: table
Total living space per resident, in square meters.
| Year | Total | Urban | Rural |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 18.0 | 17.7 | 18.7 |
| 2000 | 19.2 | 18.9 | 19.9 |
| 2005 | 20.8 | 20.4 | 21.9 |
| 2010 | 22.6 | 22.1 | 24.0 |
| 2015 | 24.3 | 23.9 | 25.6 |
| 2020 | 26.7 | 26.5 | 27.2 |
| 2021 | 27.5 | 27.4 | 28.0 |
| 2022 | 28.2 | 28.0 | 29.0 |
| 2023 | 28.8 | 28.3 | 30.4 |
| 2024 | 29.4 | 28.8 | 31.2 |
The series rises steadily without a single dip, including during crisis years. The reason lies in arithmetic: the housing stock only grows, new housing is built, old housing is demolished slowly, and the country’s population barely increases. The full year-by-year series is available on the interactive chart of housing conditions.
Why rural areas have more square meters
Rural residents have more living space than urban residents, and the gap is widening: 31.2 vs. 28.8 sq. m in 2024. In 1995, the difference was just one square meter; now it is 2.4.
There are two explanations for this. First, a private house is almost always larger than an apartment, and in rural areas this is the main type of housing. Second, villages are losing people. The house remains, the family leaves, and in the statistics the total area is divided by a smaller number of residents.
Number of apartments in Russia
| Year | Total, million | Average size, sq. m |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 52.0 | 47.7 |
| 2000 | 55.1 | 49.1 |
| 2010 | 60.1 | 52.8 |
| 2015 | 64.0 | 54.6 |
| 2020 | 69.0 | 56.3 |
| 2023 | 72.3 | 57.6 |
| 2024 | 73.3 | 57.9 |
| 2025 | 74.4 | 58.3 |
There are now 22.4 million more apartments than in 1995. The average size has increased from 47.7 to 58.3 sq. m, an increase of 10.6 sq. m over thirty years. This translates to about a third of a square metre per year, even though new buildings in recent years are noticeably more spacious than the old housing stock: new housing is absorbed into the 74 million existing apartments.
Housing stock by number of rooms
Number of apartments as of the end of 2025, million.
| Type | Apartments, million | Average size, sq. m |
|---|---|---|
| One-room | 19.9 | 37.0 |
| Two-room | 26.9 | 51.0 |
| Three-room | 20.5 | 69.0 |
| Four rooms and more | 6.7 | 112.6 |
The two-room apartment remains the most common type of housing in the country, but its share is declining. Since 1995, the number of one-room apartments has increased from 12.1 to 19.9 million (up 64%), and two-room apartments from 21.9 to 26.9 million (up 23%). The category of "four rooms and more" has almost tripled, from 2.4 to 6.7 million, and these are mainly private houses.
The average sizes by type have changed little: one-room apartments are 37.0 sq. m compared to 31.7 in 1995, and three-room apartments are 69.0 compared to 59.3. It is not the apartment itself that is growing, but its amenities and the share of spacious types in the stock.
How this indicator is calculated
Rosstat divides the total floor space of residential premises in the country by the number of permanent population. The total floor space includes living rooms and ancillary areas: kitchen, hallway, bathroom, storage rooms. Balconies and loggias are not included.
The indicator has an important limitation, which Rosstat itself warns about in the notes. Since 2013, data on the housing stock have been compiled not for the full range of reporting units, because there is no regulatory act governing the state registration of housing. And starting from 2025, part of the table rows will temporarily not be published.
The second limitation is purely statistical: an average says nothing about distribution. 29.4 square metres per person does not mean that a typical family of three has 88 square metres. Some people have significantly more housing than the average, while others have significantly less, and the availability of housing is growing faster for those who already have more than the average.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many square meters of housing per person are there in Russia?
29.4 sq. m of total area according to 2024 data. In urban areas 28.8, in rural areas 31.2.
How many square meters are allocated per person according to standards?
The accounting standard and the provision standard are set by municipalities and vary by city, usually amounting to 12–18 sq. m per person. The sanitary standard in dormitories is 6 sq. m. The statistical indicator of availability does not relate to these standards; it is simply an average value.
Where is there more housing per person, in the city or in the countryside?
In the countryside: 31.2 compared to 28.8 sq. m. The gap has grown from one square meter in 1995 to 2.4 meters in 2024, mainly due to the outflow of rural population.
How many apartments are there in Russia in total?
74.4 million as of the end of 2025. Of these, 19.9 million are one-room apartments, 26.9 million two-room, 20.5 million three-room, and 6.7 million with four rooms or more.
What is the average apartment size in Russia?
58.3 sq. m in 2025 compared to 47.7 in 1995. The average one-room apartment is 37.0 sq. m, two-room 51.0, three-room 69.0.
Why does housing availability increase every year?
The housing stock is growing faster than the population. Construction is ongoing, demolition of dilapidated housing is slow, and Russia’s population has hovered around 146 million for the past twenty years.
In Brief
Housing availability in Russia has increased from 18.0 sq. m per person in 1995 to 29.4 in 2024. Rural residents have better availability than urban ones (31.2 compared to 28.8), and the gap is widening. There are 74.4 million apartments in the country, with an average size of 58.3 sq. m; two-room apartments remain the most common. However, the average conceals wide variation, and since 2013 data have been collected not for the full range of facilities.
All series are taken from Rosstat’s open publications and are updated on the website as new data are released.