Quick facts
Saint Petersburg overview
Saint Petersburg (orange) and the other large cities of Russia
Saint Petersburg lies in St. Petersburg in Russia at 59.94°N, 30.31°E, about 11 m above sea level. The local time zone is Europe/Moscow (UTC+3); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Moscow (10,381,222) and larger than Novosibirsk (1,612,833). 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 635 km away; the nearest large city is Kolpino, 26 km from Saint Petersburg.
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 Saint Petersburg
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Kolpino St. Petersburg | 26 km | 138,979 |
| Velikiy Novgorod Novgorod Oblast | 167 km | 222,868 |
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 Saint Petersburg?
Saint Petersburg has about 5,351,935 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Saint Petersburg the capital of Russia?
No. The capital of Russia is Moscow (10,381,222 people), about 635 km away. Saint Petersburg is the 2nd largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Saint Petersburg compared with the rest of Russia?
Its 5,351,935 residents are 3.7% of the 143,296,039 people living in Russia today. Moscow is larger with 10,381,222 people.
Where is Saint Petersburg?
In St. Petersburg, Russia, at latitude 59.94 and longitude 30.31, 11 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Kolpino (26 km), Velikiy Novgorod (167 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Saint Petersburg Population 2026 — Russia. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/russia/saint-petersburg/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/russia/saint-petersburg/">Saint Petersburg 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.