Russia

The vast majority of immigrants to Russia come from former Soviet republics like Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, with top populations numbering well over a million. People are drawn across these borders by geographic proximity, a shared Russian language, and deep historical ties. For many arrivals from Central Asia and the Caucasus, Russia also provides vital economic opportunities and jobs.

Over the decades, geopolitical upheavals and economic shifts drastically reshaped these migration patterns. Arrivals from Baltic nations dropped sharply following the collapse of the Soviet Union and their later integration into the European Union. Conversely, regional conflicts have driven sudden surges of displaced people, most recently causing the number of Ukrainian immigrants to spike to nearly three million.

Millions of Russian-born individuals live in neighboring former Soviet republics like Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus, anchored by shifting historical borders and deep familial ties. Beyond the immediate region, many emigrants are drawn to Western nations like Germany, which now hosts well over a million arrivals seeking robust career opportunities and higher living standards. Shared cultural heritage also sustains large Russian-speaking communities in places like Israel.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the sudden redrawing of national boundaries instantly turned millions of internal migrants into international emigrants. In the decades since, globalization and domestic political shifts have continually redirected these outflows toward new global hubs. Most recently, geopolitical tensions have driven a rapid surge of relocations to accessible lifestyle destinations like Turkiye and Spain.