St. Petersburg is the most important scientific, financial, cultural and transport center of Russia. What is the real population of St. Petersburg? How has the population of the city changed in past centuries?
Population of Saint Petersburg today
According to preliminary data, the population of St. Petersburg is (as of January 1, 2017) 5 million 262 thousand 127 people.
If we talk about the demography of St. Petersburg, then in this regard, the Northern capital of Russia can boast of several records at once. Firstly, it is the northernmost millionaire city on the planet. And secondly, St. Petersburg is the largest settlement in Europe in terms of population, if you do not take into account the capitals of states.
According to scientists, in 2020 the population of St. Petersburg will be able to approach the 6 millionth mark. True, many experts argue that in reality the city is already home to 6 to 6.5 million people (including illegal migrants and temporary workers).
Population of St. Petersburg: historical section
The first people settled in the territoryof the modern city 12 thousand years ago, immediately after the retreat of the last glacier. Starting from the 8th century, the banks of the Neva began to be actively settled by Eastern Slavs.
Officially, the city of St. Petersburg was founded in 1703. In the first decades, the entire life of the future metropolis was concentrated within the current Petrogradsky Island. It was there that the Winter and Summer Palaces of Peter I were built, the first city shipyards were laid. In 1712 St. Petersburg received the status of the capital of Russia.
During the 18th century, the city grew rapidly and grew in size. By 1800, its population already amounted to more than 200 thousand people. At that time, the city tried to imitate Western, European fashion in everything: growing a beard was considered bad form, and the nobility sought to speak exclusively in French among themselves.
In 1923, the population of St. Petersburg for the first time reached one million people. With the advent of Soviet power, the city lost the status of the capital, was renamed Leningrad, began to "grow" with industrial enterprises and communal apartments.
Ethnic and age composition of the population
Women, according to the results of the last population census, there are more women in St. Petersburg. The ratio is approximately the following: 45% to 55% in favor of the fair sex. Residents of the Northern capital are educated people. About 70% of them have higher education.
The population of St. Petersburg is multinational. At least two hundred ethnic groups are registered in the cityand communities. The ethnic structure of the inhabitants of St. Petersburg is dominated by Russians (about 85% of them here), followed by Ukrainians (about 2%), Belarusians, Jews, Tatars and Armenians.
In St. Petersburg, there are quite a lot of so-called guest workers (temporary employees who came from other countries or cities). According to various estimates, there are from 0.5 to 1 million such people in the city. Most of the foreign guest workers in St. Petersburg are Uzbeks, Tajiks and Ukrainians.
The average life expectancy in St. Petersburg is quite high (by Russian standards) and is 74 years. Today, about 300 centenarians (citizens who are 100 years old) and another 20,000 people aged 90 to 100 live in the city.
