St. Petersburg is the most important scientific, financial, cultural and transport center of Russia. What is the real population of St. Petersburg? How did the number of city residents change in past centuries?
The population of St. 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 boasts several records at once. Firstly, it is the northernmost millionaire city on the planet. And secondly, St. Petersburg is the largest population center in Europe, 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-million mark. True, many experts argue that in reality from 6 to 6.5 million people already live in the city (taking into account illegal migrants and temporary workers).
The population of St. Petersburg: a historical section
The first people settled on the territory of the modern city 12 thousand years ago, immediately after the retreat of the last glacier. Starting from the VIII century, the banks of the Neva actively began to be inhabited by Eastern Slavs.
Officially, the city of St. Petersburg was founded in 1703. In the first decades, the whole life of the future metropolis was concentrated within the present Petrograd 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.
Throughout the XVIII century, the city grew rapidly and increased in size. By 1800, its population was already more than 200 thousand people. At that time, the city tried to imitate Western, European fashion in everything: to grow a beard was considered bad form, and sought to know among themselves exclusively in French.
In 1923, the population of St. Petersburg for the first time reached the mark of one million people. With the advent of Soviet power, the city lost its status as a capital, was renamed Leningrad, and began to "grow" in industrial enterprises and communal apartments.
National and age composition of the population
According to the latest census, there are more women in St. Petersburg. The ratio is approximately this: 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 and communities are registered in the city. In the national structure of the inhabitants of St. Petersburg, Russians dominate (there are about 85% of them), followed by Ukrainians (about 2%), Belarusians, Jews, Tatars and Armenians.
In St. Petersburg, there are quite a lot of so-called guest workers (temporary hired workers who came from other countries or cities). According to various estimates, such people in the city number from 0.5 to 1 million. Among foreign migrant workers in St. Petersburg, most of all are Uzbeks, Tajiks and Ukrainians.
The average life expectancy in St. Petersburg is quite large (by Russian standards) and is 74 years. Today, about 300 centenarians (citizens who are over 100 years old) and another 20 thousand people aged 90 to 100 years live in the city.