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Russian Migration: In and Out

Russia is home to a million more immigrants than its large emigrant diaspora.

May 23, 2018

1. Russia has the world’s third-largest population of immigrants. As of 2015, Russia has a foreign-born population numbering 11.6 million.

2. This figure means about 8% of Russia’s population is foreign-born.

3. Many of these migrants hail originally from former Soviet Republics, particularly impoverished Central Asian countries.

4. Russia also suffers from a significant brain drain of talented workers.

5. The world’s third-largest emigrant population globally is Russian.

6. 10.6 million Russians live in other countries – a figure almost as large as the country’s immigrant population.

7. Only India and Mexico have more citizens living abroad than Russia does.

8. Russia is the sixth-largest source country for remittances sent home from migrant workers.

9. Back in 2013, before the imposition of sanctions during the Crimea crisis, migrant workers in Russia sent $37 billion abroad.

10. By 2016, this had fallen to just $16.6 billion.

Sources: Pew Research, World Bank, The Globalist Research Center

Takeaways

Russia has the world’s third-largest population of immigrants.

Only India and Mexico have more citizens living abroad than Russia does.