{{Short description|Summary of censuses carried out in the Soviet Union}} [[File:Census1926.jpg | thumb | right | alt=Poster for the 1926 Census in the Soviet | Poster for the 1926 Census in the Soviet ]] The following is a summary of [[census]]es carried out in the [[Soviet Union]]: {| class="sortable wikitable" style="margin: auto;" |- ! Year ! Territory<br>('''km<sup>2</sup>''') ! Total<br>population ! Rank ! Density<br>per km<sup>2</sup> ! Change ! Urban<br>population ! Share ! Males ! Share ! Females ! Share ! Largest city ! Second<br>largest city ! Third<br>largest city ! Ethnic<br>Russians ! Share ! Ethnic<br>minorities ! Notes |-align="right" | {{center|'''[[1926 Soviet census|1926]]'''}} | rowspan="3" | 21&nbsp;176&nbsp;187 | 147&nbsp;027&nbsp;915 | rowspan="2" | {{center|3rd}} | {{Decrease}} 6.94 | {{increase}} 7.5% | 26&nbsp;314&nbsp;114 | {{nowrap|{{increase}} 17.9%}} | 71&nbsp;043&nbsp;352 | {{nowrap|{{decrease}} 48.3%}} | 75&nbsp;984&nbsp;563 | {{nowrap|{{increase}} 51.7%}} | [[Moscow]]<br>{{small|(2&nbsp;025&nbsp;947)}} | [[Leningrad]]<br>{{small|(1&nbsp;590&nbsp;770)}} | [[Kiev]]<br>{{small|(513&nbsp;637)}} | 77&nbsp;791&nbsp;124 | {{nowrap|{{increase}} 52.9%}} | {{Ubl | [[Ukrainians]] |{{small|(31&nbsp;194&nbsp;976)}} | [[Belarusians]] |{{small|(4&nbsp;738&nbsp;923)}}}} |align="left"| {{efn|The first full-scale census in the [[Soviet Union]].}} |-align="right" | {{center|'''[[1937 Soviet census|1937]]'''}} | 162&nbsp;039&nbsp;470 | {{increase}} 7.65 | {{increase}} 10.2% | 43&nbsp;729&nbsp;514 | {{increase}} 27.0% | 75&nbsp;789&nbsp;892 | {{decrease}} 46.8% | 84&nbsp;331&nbsp;656 | {{increase}} 53.2% | [[Moscow]]<br>{{small|(3&nbsp;798&nbsp;078)}} | [[Leningrad]]<br>{{small|({{estimation|2&nbsp;814&nbsp;500}})}} | [[Kiev]]<br>{{small|(775&nbsp;850)}} | 93&nbsp;933&nbsp;065 | {{increase}} 58.0% | {{Ubl | [[Ukrainians]] |{{small|(26&nbsp;421&nbsp;212)}} | [[Belarusians]] |{{small|(4&nbsp;874&nbsp;061)}}}} |align="left"| {{efn|Initially set to take place in 1933, but was delayed multiple times due to [[Joseph Stalin]]'s policies of [[Collectivization in the Soviet Union|collectivization]], [[Soviet famine of 1932–33|forced famine]] and [[Political repression in the Soviet Union|political repression]] which lowered the population drastically. The only one-day census in the Russian history. Proclaimed defective by the Soviet government in September 1937.}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Всесоюзная перепись населения 1937 года: Общие итоги|url=http://docs.historyrussia.org/ru/nodes/47581-vsesoyuznaya-perepis-naseleniya-1937-goda-obschie-itogi|website=docs.historyrussia.org}}</ref> |-align="right" | {{center|'''[[1939 Soviet census|1939]]'''}} | 170&nbsp;557&nbsp;093 | {{center|[[List of countries by population in 1939|4th]]}} | {{increase}} 8.05 | {{increase}} 5.3% | 56&nbsp;125&nbsp;139 | {{increase}} 32.9% | 81&nbsp;694&nbsp;889 | {{increase}} 48.0% | 88&nbsp;862&nbsp;204 | {{decrease}} 52.0% | [[Moscow]]<br>{{small|(4&nbsp;131&nbsp;633)}} | [[Leningrad]]<br>{{small|(3&nbsp;191&nbsp;304)}} | [[Kiev]]<br>{{small|(846&nbsp;724)}} | 99&nbsp;591&nbsp;520 | {{increase}} 58.4% | {{Ubl | [[Ukrainians]] |{{small|(28&nbsp;111&nbsp;007)}} | [[Belarusians]] |{{small|(5&nbsp;275&nbsp;393)}}}} |align="left"| {{efn|Took place instead of the "defective" 1937 census.}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей.|url=http://www.demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/rus_pop_39_1.php|access-date=2022-02-10|website=www.demoscope.ru}}</ref> |-align="right" | {{center|'''[[1959 Soviet census|1959]]'''}} |rowspan="4"| 22&nbsp;402&nbsp;200 | 208&nbsp;826&nbsp;650 | rowspan="4"|{{center|[[List of countries by population in 1989|3rd]]}} | {{increase}} 9.32 | {{increase}} 22.4% | 99&nbsp;977&nbsp;695 | {{increase}} 47.9% | 94&nbsp;050&nbsp;303 | {{decrease}} 45.0% | 114&nbsp;776&nbsp;347 | {{increase}} 55.0% | [[Moscow]]<br>{{small|(5&nbsp;045&nbsp;905)}} | [[Leningrad]]<br>{{small|(3&nbsp;121&nbsp;196)}} | [[Kiev]]<br>{{small|(1&nbsp;104&nbsp;334)}} | 114&nbsp;113&nbsp;579 | {{decrease}} 54.6% | {{Ubl |[[Ukrainians]] |{{small|(37&nbsp;252&nbsp;930)}} |[[Belarusians]] |{{small|(7&nbsp;913&nbsp;488)}}}} |align="left"| {{efn|The population increased markedly as a result of the Soviet Union's territorial expansion by [[World War II]].}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей.|url=http://www.demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/rus59_reg1.php|access-date=2022-02-10|website=www.demoscope.ru}}</ref> |-align="right" | {{center|'''[[1970 Soviet census|1970]]'''}} | 241&nbsp;720&nbsp;134 | {{increase}} 10.79 | {{increase}} 15.7% | 135&nbsp;991&nbsp;514 | {{increase}} 56.2% | 111&nbsp;399&nbsp;377 | {{increase}} 46.1% | 130&nbsp;320&nbsp;757 | {{decrease}} 53.9% | [[Moscow]]<br>{{small|(6&nbsp;941&nbsp;961)}} | [[Leningrad]]<br>{{small|(3&nbsp;949&nbsp;501)}} | [[Kiev]]<br>{{small|(1&nbsp;631&nbsp;908)}} | 129&nbsp;015&nbsp;140 | {{decrease}} 53.4% | {{Ubl | [[Ukrainians]] | {{small|(40&nbsp;753&nbsp;246)}} | [[Uzbeks]] | {{small|(9&nbsp;195&nbsp;093)}}}} |align="left"| |-align="right" | {{center|'''[[1979 Soviet census|1979]]'''}} | 262&nbsp;436&nbsp;227 | {{increase}} 11.71 | {{increase}} 8.6% | 163&nbsp;585&nbsp;944 | {{increase}} 62.3% | 122&nbsp;328&nbsp;833 | {{increase}} 46.6% | 140&nbsp;107&nbsp;394 | {{decrease}} 53.4% | [[Moscow]]<br>{{small|(7&nbsp;830&nbsp;509)}} | [[Leningrad]]<br>{{small|(4&nbsp;588&nbsp;183)}} | [[Kiev]]<br>{{small|(2&nbsp;143&nbsp;855)}} | 137&nbsp;397&nbsp;089 | {{decrease}} 52.3% | {{Ubl | [[Ukrainians]] | {{small|(42&nbsp;347&nbsp;387)}} | [[Uzbeks]] | {{small|(12&nbsp;455&nbsp;978)}}}} |align="left"| |-align="right" | {{center|'''[[1989 Soviet census|1989]]'''}} | 286&nbsp;730&nbsp;817 | {{increase}} 12.80 | {{increase}} 9.3% | 188&nbsp;813&nbsp;355 | {{increase}} 65.8% | 135&nbsp;360&nbsp;790 | {{increase}} 47.2% | 151&nbsp;370&nbsp;027 | {{decrease}} 52.8% | [[Moscow]]<br>{{small|(8&nbsp;769&nbsp;117)}} | [[Leningrad]]<br>{{small|(5&nbsp;023&nbsp;506)}} | [[Kiev]]<br>{{small|(2&nbsp;587&nbsp;945)}} | 145&nbsp;155&nbsp;489 | {{decrease}} 50.6% | {{Ubl | [[Ukrainians]] | {{small|(44&nbsp;186&nbsp;006)}} | [[Uzbeks]] | {{small|(16&nbsp;697&nbsp;825)}}}} |align="left"| {{efn|The last census of the Soviet Union.}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей.|url=http://www.demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/rus89_reg1.php|access-date=2022-02-10|website=www.demoscope.ru}}</ref> |}

==See also== *[[Russian census]] *[[Censuses in Ukraine]]

== Notes == {{notelist|30em}} ==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

{{USSRCensus}}

[[Category:Censuses in the Soviet Union| ]] [[Category:Demographics of the Soviet Union]] [[Category:Censuses by country|Soviet Union]]