Russia Has 10 Million More Women Than Men

Russia has the world's most extreme gender imbalance, with approximately 10.4 million more women than men. Out of a population of 144 million, there are 77.2 million females compared to just 66.8 million males—a ratio of roughly 87 men for every 100 women.

But here's where it gets really wild: the gap varies dramatically by age. Russian boys actually outnumber girls until age 34. After that, women begin to dominate the statistics, and the disparity becomes increasingly stark with each decade.

The Numbers Are Staggering

Among people in their 70s, women outnumber men 2-to-1. For those in their 80s, it's 3-to-1. And among Russian centenarians? Women outnumber men by an incredible 5-to-1 ratio.

This isn't just a quirk of statistics—it's the result of one of the world's largest life expectancy gaps between genders. Russian women live an average of 10-11 years longer than Russian men, one of the most extreme differences anywhere on the planet.

Why So Few Men?

Many assume the gender gap stems from World War II, when millions of Soviet men died in combat. While that's partly true—the region has been predominantly female since at least the 1940s—those survivors are now over 95 years old. Something else is keeping the gap alive.

Alcohol is the real killer. According to demographers, 150,000-200,000 Russians die from alcohol-related causes every year, and about 80% of them are men. A landmark 2014 study in The Lancet found that excess vodka consumption is responsible for a disproportionate number of deaths among Russian men, often from accidents, violence, and disease.

When Mikhail Gorbachev launched his anti-alcohol campaign from 1985-1987—restricting vodka production and availability—male life expectancy temporarily improved. But old habits die hard.

A Country Shaped by Gender

The imbalance has real social consequences:

• Dating markets are skewed, especially for younger women in cities with heavy industry (where men migrate for work)
• Pension systems strain under the weight of millions more elderly women
• Military recruitment becomes easier with surplus young men
• Cultural attitudes toward gender roles remain deeply traditional

Russia's gender gap isn't just a demographic curiosity—it's a window into the country's turbulent history and ongoing public health crisis. From the battlefields of Stalingrad to the vodka bottles of today, the reasons millions of Russian men are missing tell a story of war, policy, and culture spanning nearly a century.