Russia vs United States: population
How Russia and United States compare in population today and out to 2100, side by side, from UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Russia and United States population, 2000-2100
Population 2000-2100
Side by side
| 🇷🇺 Russia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Population today | 144 million | 348 million |
| Population 2050 | 136 million | 380 million |
| Population 2100 | 126 million | 421 million |
| World rank | #9 | #3 |
| Peak year | 1992 | 2100 |
| Median age (2024) | 40 | 38 |
| Fertility rate (2024) | 1.46 | 1.62 |
| Life expectancy (2024) | 73 yrs | 79 yrs |
| Density (per km²) | 9 | 38 |
Why this comparison matters
Two Cold War superpowers, two opposite demographic fates. The United States continues to grow on the back of immigration, while Russia has been shrinking for a generation under low fertility, high male mortality and, since 2022, war and emigration. The population gap between them, already wide, is projected to keep widening.
Russia vs United States, explained
Today United States is the larger of the two, with about 348 million people against Russia's 144 million. Russia is the world's 9th most populous country and United States the 3rd.
Their paths to 2100 differ. Russia declines over the century, moving from about 145 million to 126 million (-12.9%). United States keeps growing, going from 344 million to 421 million (+22.2%).
The order does not flip this century: United States is still the larger of the two in 2100. The two trajectories run in parallel rather than crossing.
The deeper contrast is age and fertility. Russia has a median age near 40 and 1.46 births per woman, against United States's 38 and 1.62. All figures follow the UN's medium-variant projection.