Quick facts
Makhachkala overview
Makhachkala (orange) and the other large cities of Russia
Makhachkala lies in Dagestan in Russia at 42.98°N, 47.5°E, about 10 m below sea level. The local time zone is Europe/Moscow (UTC+3); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Vladivostok (604,901) and larger than Tomsk (574,002). 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 1,587 km away; the nearest large city is Khasavyurt, 80 km from Makhachkala.
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 Makhachkala
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Khasavyurt Dagestan | 80 km | 126,829 |
| Derbent Dagestan | 120 km | 105,965 |
| Grozny Chechnya | 152 km | 297,137 |
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 Makhachkala?
Makhachkala has about 596,356 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Makhachkala the capital of Russia?
No. The capital of Russia is Moscow (10,381,222 people), about 1,587 km away. Makhachkala is the 27th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Makhachkala compared with the rest of Russia?
Its 596,356 residents are 0.4% of the 143,296,039 people living in Russia today. Moscow is larger with 10,381,222 people.
Where is Makhachkala?
In Dagestan, Russia, at latitude 42.98 and longitude 47.5, 10 m below sea level. Nearby large cities include Khasavyurt (80 km), Derbent (120 km), Grozny (152 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Makhachkala Population 2026 — Russia. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/russia/makhachkala/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/russia/makhachkala/">Makhachkala 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.