Mortality by regions of Russia: ranking of subjects, causes and charts
The highest mortality is in Pskov Oblast: in 2023 there were 17.0 deaths per thousand residents. The lowest is in Ingushetia, 3.2 per thousand, i.e. the difference is more than fivefold. The average across Russia is 12.1, and it is above average in 55 subjects out of 85. Below we examine which regions are at the top and bottom of the list, what they die from and why low mortality does not always mean a long life. Rosstat data for 2023 and early 2025, each chart has an interactive version on the website.
In the ranking of 85 subjects: Rosstat still does not include the DPR, LPR, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions in these tables. Arkhangelsk and Tyumen Oblasts are taken without autonomous districts, and the districts appear as separate rows.
Where mortality is the highest
The first dozen are almost entirely from Central Russia and the Northwest. After Pskov Oblast come Karelia (16.5), Kurgan (16.4), Tver (16.3), Ivanovo and Novgorod (both 16.1) oblasts. A total of 15 or more deaths per thousand residents was recorded in 13 regions, and among them only Kirov and Kurgan oblasts lie outside the Central and Northwestern districts.
In absolute numbers these regions are small. In Pskov Oblast in 2023, 9,918 people died and 4,080 were born: for each newborn there were almost two and a half deaths. In Tula Oblast, 22,397 died against 9,462 births; in Vladimir Oblast, 20,429 died against 8,449 births.
Births, deaths and natural increase for all subjects in 2023 →
Where mortality is the lowest
At the other end of the list are the North Caucasus and the oil‑gas districts. After Ingushetia come Chechnya (4.3), Dagestan (4.5), Yamalo‑Nenets (5.5) and Khanty‑Mansi (6.2) autonomous districts. Moscow with a coefficient of 8.8 is also in this group: in 2023 the capital recorded 116,000 deaths and 120,620 births, so births were higher.
Saint Petersburg (10.7) and Moscow Oblast (11.0) are also below the national average. In total, births exceeded deaths in 15 subjects.
By federal districts the picture is the same, only smoother. The fewest deaths occur in the North Caucasus district (7.0 per thousand) and in the Ural district (11.5), the most in the Volga and Siberian districts (both 13.0). The Central district, with its 12.0, stays around the national average thanks to Moscow, although eight of its regions are among the 13 with the highest mortality.
Why the numbers differ so much: how the mortality rate is calculated
The overall mortality rate is calculated simply: the number of deaths per year is divided by the average population size and multiplied by a thousand. The age of residents is not taken into account. A region with many elderly people gets a high rate, even if its healthcare is not worse than that of its neighbours. A region with a young population gets a low rate, even if people die early there.
This is clearly seen in Tuva. By mortality rate it is among the most prosperous: 8.9 per thousand, almost the same as in Moscow (8.8). But by life expectancy Tuva is second to last: 66.59 years in 2023 versus 73.41 for Russia. The explanation lies in birth rates: in Tuva 17.1 children are born per thousand residents, twice the average, and there are many young people in the population.
The opposite is true for Pskov Oblast. Life expectancy there is 70.0 years, below the average, but the lag behind the country is just over three years. Yet the mortality rate is the highest in the country, because birth rates are low (7.0 per thousand) and the share of elderly is large.
Therefore, to compare the health of regions it is better to look at the regional life expectancy ranking, while the overall rate shows how many people a region loses each year. The top spots in it belong to Dagestan (79.87 years), Moscow (79.38) and Ingushetia (79.2), and the bottom spots to Chukotka (66.56) and Tuva.
What People Die From in the Regions
The main cause of death everywhere is the same: diseases of the circulatory system. In 2023, they caused 556.7 deaths per 100 thousand residents of Russia, which is 46% of all deaths. Next are neoplasms (197.4 per 100 thousand) and external causes (107.1).
The spread between regions for cardiovascular diseases is huge. In Pskov Oblast there were 993.4 deaths per 100 thousand, in Oryol Oblast 914.7, in Kostroma Oblast 869.3. In Moscow 473.7, in Ingushetia 123.9. Cancer deaths are highest in Kurgan Oblast (276.5), Pskov Oblast (259.7) and Tula Oblast (256.5).
Mortality by major cause classes by subjects, per 100 thousand people →
External causes: a different geography
External causes include injuries, poisonings, road accidents, murders and suicides. Here the ranking is completely different: Siberia and the Far East are ahead. In Tuva, external causes caused 287.8 deaths per 100 thousand, in Chukotka 271.2, in Zabaykalsky Krai 230.6, in Amur Oblast 207.3. This is two to three times the national average and almost five times higher than in Moscow (58.7).
By districts the gap is the same: in the Far Eastern district 175.9 deaths from external causes per 100 thousand, in the Siberian district 140.8, in the Central district 89.7. It is these deaths, usually in working age, that pull down life expectancy in Tuva and Chukotka.
In road accidents the most deaths occur in Tuva (32.6 per 100 thousand), Kalmykia (24.8) and the Altai Republic (19.9), compared with the Russian average of 9.2. Deaths from diseases of the digestive organs are highest in Sakhalin (145.5), in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (122.0) and in Komi (119.7).
What can be seen for 2025
The most recent regional data on the website cover January and February 2025. Over these two months mortality in Russia was 13.3 per thousand residents compared with 13.8 for the same months in 2024. Winter figures are always higher than annual ones, so they can only be compared with the previous winter.
The list of leaders changed little: Kurgan region (19.3), Pskov region (18.7), Karelia (18.2), Jewish Autonomous Oblast (18.0) and Tver region (17.7). The lowest mortality was in Ingushetia (4.5), Dagestan (4.9) and Chechnya (5.1). Among federal districts mortality rose in the Far Eastern (14.8 versus 14.5) and North Caucasian districts, stayed the same in the Southern district, and fell in the others.
Birth and death rates by region for January–February 2025 →
Questions and answers
Which region of Russia has the highest mortality?
In Pskov region: 17.0 deaths per 1,000 residents in 2023. Followed by Karelia (16.5) and Kurgan region (16.4). In January–February 2025 the top spot belongs to Kurgan region with 19.3.
Where in Russia is mortality the lowest?
In Ingushetia, 3.2 per 1,000 residents. Low figures are also seen in Chechnya, Dagestan and two autonomous districts of Tyumen: there are many young residents and a high birth rate.
What is the mortality in Moscow?
8.8 deaths per 1,000 residents in 2023, one of the lowest in the country. Life expectancy in Moscow is 79.38 years, the second place after Dagestan. More details on the page Moscow: life expectancy.
Why do people die more often in Central Russia than in the Caucasus?
Primarily because of the age structure of the population. In the regions around Moscow birth rates are low and there are many elderly, while the opposite is true in the Caucasus. The overall mortality rate does not take age into account, so this difference is most visible there.
Where do accidental deaths and injuries occur most frequently?
In Tuva, Chukotka and Transbaikalia. Mortality from external causes there is two to three times higher than the Russian average.
Brief
In 2023, Russia recorded 12.1 deaths per thousand inhabitants. The highest mortality was in Pskov Oblast (17.0), Karelia and Kurgan Oblast, the lowest in Ingushetia (3.2), Chechnya and Dagestan. Regions of the Center and the North-West lead in the overall rate because of an elderly population and heart diseases, while Siberia and the Far East stand out for deaths from external causes. For comparing regional health, life expectancy is more reliable: Tuva, with a low mortality rate, lives the shortest, except for Chukotka.