Quick facts
Irkutsk overview
Irkutsk (orange) and the other large cities of Russia
Irkutsk lies in Irkutsk Oblast in Russia at 52.3°N, 104.29°E, about 415 m above sea level. The local time zone is Asia/Irkutsk (UTC+8); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Ulyanovsk (626,540) and larger than Khabarovsk (618,150). The largest city in Russia is Moscow with 10,381,222 people; the capital, Moscow, has 10,381,222.
The national capital, Moscow, is about 4,202 km away; the nearest large city is Angarsk, 39 km from Irkutsk.
Russia as a whole has a live population of 143,296,039 (-0.2% a year) and ranks #9 of 238 countries — see the Russia population page for the full statistics and the Russia atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Irkutsk
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Angarsk Irkutsk Oblast | 39 km | 243,158 |
Largest cities in Russia
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MoscowCapital | Moscow | 10,381,222 |
| 2 | Saint Petersburg | St. Petersburg | 5,351,935 |
| 3 | Novosibirsk | Novosibirsk Oblast | 1,612,833 |
| 4 | Yekaterinburg | Sverdlovsk Oblast | 1,495,066 |
| 5 | Nizhniy Novgorod | Nizhny Novgorod Oblast | 1,259,013 |
| 6 | Kazan | Tatarstan Republic | 1,243,500 |
| 7 | Chelyabinsk | Chelyabinsk | 1,202,371 |
| 8 | Omsk | Omsk Oblast | 1,172,070 |
| 9 | Samara | Samara Oblast | 1,163,399 |
| 10 | Rostov-on-Don | Rostov | 1,130,305 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Irkutsk?
Irkutsk has about 623,869 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Irkutsk the capital of Russia?
No. The capital of Russia is Moscow (10,381,222 people), about 4,202 km away. Irkutsk is the 23rd largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Irkutsk compared with the rest of Russia?
Its 623,869 residents are 0.4% of the 143,296,039 people living in Russia today. Moscow is larger with 10,381,222 people.
Where is Irkutsk?
In Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, at latitude 52.3 and longitude 104.29, 415 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Angarsk (39 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Irkutsk Population 2026 — Russia. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/russia/irkutsk/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/russia/irkutsk/">Irkutsk Population 2026 — Russia</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.