Languages spoken in Russia
Europe · Capital: Moscow · Population 140.8 million
The official language of Russia is Russian. A further 19 languages hold official status at regional level: Tatar, Bashkir, Chechen, Avaric, Udmurt, Yakut, and 13 others. An estimated 94% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 132.4 million people. After Russian, the most widely spoken are Tatar at 1.4% and Bashkir at 1.3%. Russian belongs to the Indo-European language family. Russian is also spoken in nine of its 14 neighbours: Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, and 5 others. In total, 22 languages are recorded in Russia, and their shares add up to 102.9% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.0 of them.
What languages are spoken in Russia?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| RussianIndo-European | 94% | Official | 132.4 million |
| TatarTurkic | 1.4% | Official (regional) | 2 million |
| Bashkir | 1.3% | Official (regional) | 1.8 million |
| Chuvash | 1.3% | Spoken | 1.8 million |
| ArmenianIndo-European | 0.8% | Spoken | 1.2 million |
| Chechen | 0.7% | Official (regional) | 929,419 |
| Avaric | 0.4% | Official (regional) | 549,202 |
| Udmurt | 0.4% | Official (regional) | 535,120 |
| Yakut | 0.3% | Official (regional) | 450,627 |
| Kabardian | 0.3% | Official (regional) | 436,545 |
| Erzya | 0.3% | Official (regional) | 436,545 |
| Buriat | 0.2% | Official (regional) | 309,806 |
| Moksha | 0.2% | Official (regional) | 295,724 |
| Kumyk | 0.2% | Official (regional) | 281,642 |
| Komi | 0.2% | Official (regional) | 253,478 |
| Lezghian | 0.2% | Official (regional) | 253,478 |
| Karachay-Balkar | 0.2% | Official (regional) | 239,396 |
| Ingush | 0.2% | Official (regional) | 225,314 |
| Tuvinian | 0.1% | Official (regional) | 183,067 |
| AzerbaijaniTurkic | 0.1% | Official (regional) | 130,964 |
| Adyghe | 0.1% | Official (regional) | 123,922 |
| LakNortheast Caucasian | 0.1% | Official (regional) | 109,840 |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Russia?
The official language of Russia is Russian. A further 19 languages are official at regional or state level: Tatar, Bashkir, Chechen, Avaric, Udmurt, Yakut, Kabardian, Erzya, Buriat, Moksha, Kumyk, Komi, Lezghian, Karachay-Balkar, Ingush, Tuvinian, Azerbaijani, Adyghe, and Lak. Russian is spoken by an estimated 94% of the population, or roughly 132.4 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak Russian in Russia?
An estimated 94% of Russia's 140.8 million people speak Russian, which works out at roughly 132.4 million speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Russia
- Capital
- Moscow
- Population
- 140.8 million
- Continent
- Europe
- Area
- 17,098,242 km²
- Currency
- RUB
- Languages recorded
- 22
- Land borders
- 14
- ISO codes
- RU / RUS / 643
Which countries border Russia?
Russia shares a land border with 14 countries: Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, North Korea, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Latvia, Mongolia, Norway, Poland, and Ukraine. Russian, the most widely spoken language in Russia, is also spoken in Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, and 5 others.
Explore more
Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.