Quick facts
Saransk overview
Saransk (orange) and the other large cities of Russia
Saransk lies in Mordoviya Republic in Russia at 54.18°N, 45.17°E, about 168 m above sea level. The local time zone is Europe/Moscow (UTC+3); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Volzhsky (323,293) and larger than Cherepovets (315,738). 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 512 km away; the nearest large city is Penza, 110 km from Saransk.
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 Saransk
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Penza Penza Oblast | 110 km | 523,553 |
| Arzamas Nizhny Novgorod Oblast | 159 km | 109,479 |
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 Saransk?
Saransk has about 318,841 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Saransk the capital of Russia?
No. The capital of Russia is Moscow (10,381,222 people), about 512 km away. Saransk is the 57th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Saransk compared with the rest of Russia?
Its 318,841 residents are 0.2% of the 143,296,039 people living in Russia today. Moscow is larger with 10,381,222 people.
Where is Saransk?
In Mordoviya Republic, Russia, at latitude 54.18 and longitude 45.17, 168 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Penza (110 km), Arzamas (159 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Saransk Population 2026 — Russia. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/russia/saransk/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/russia/saransk/">Saransk 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.