The number of people relocating to Russia continues to decline

According to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, 5.2 thousand people relocated to Russia in the fourth quarter of 2025, of whom 34.1% were repatriates. The Central Federal District remains the most popular destination for relocation. The Northwestern regions are in second place, and Siberia is third. Our people have become more active in returning to the new regions, despite the ongoing shelling and water supply problems.

Among the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, the largest numbers of people relocating were received by Kaliningrad Oblast (500 people), Novosibirsk Oblast (333 people), Chelyabinsk Oblast (232 people), Tula Oblast (227 people), Sverdlovsk Oblast (207 people), Omsk Oblast (195 people), Voronezh Oblast (192 people), Samara Oblast (167 people), the city of Moscow (166 people), and the Republic of Tatarstan (158 people).

Armenia is noteworthy. More and more people are fleeing this country for safety in Russia. In the third quarter, 6.4% of all people relocating came to us from there; in the fourth quarter, the figure was already 9.3%.

To confirm their command of Russian, potential participants in the State Program submitted almost 1.2 thousand applications for recognition as Russian speakers (1.4 times fewer than the number of such applications in the fourth quarter of 2024). Following interviews, 49% of applicants, or more than 0.6 thousand people, were recognized as Russian speakers (15% fewer than the number who confirmed their command of Russian in the fourth quarter of 2024). During the reporting period, 3.9 thousand applications to participate in the State Program were accepted from compatriots who had confirmed their command of Russian (covering 8.8 thousand people, including family members).

From repatriates abroad, 2.6 thousand applications to participate in the State Program were accepted, 1.5 times fewer than the number of such applications in the fourth quarter of 2024. In addition, 2,174 applications to participate in the State Program as repatriates were accepted in Russia (covering 283 people, including family members).

The countries of origin have hardly changed: Kazakhstan at 30%, Kyrgyzstan at 15.5%, and Armenia at 13.5%, which has even overtaken Uzbekistan at 12.6%, while Tajikistan, in terms of the number of applications submitted, has become comparable to the Baltic countries—2.9% versus 2.7%.

In total, 3.6 thousand decisions were made in the fourth quarter of 2025 to grant State Program participant status (comparable to the figure for this indicator in the fourth quarter of 2024). 
3.5 thousand State Program participant certificates were issued to compatriots (covering 8.0 thousand people, including family members).  In the fourth quarter of 2025, 1.8 thousand State Program participant certificates were issued to repatriates (covering 3.9 thousand people, including family members).

Germany deserves separate mention. Germany increased the number of repatriates who relocated—16.5% compared with 11.7% in the third quarter. Moreover, it jumped straight to second place after Kazakhstan (20.6%), compared with fourth place in the third quarter. The “Way Home” project works purposefully with this country and, judging by the German press, has even become a threat to the country's authorities because of its activity.

The Baltic countries accounted for 4.9% of people relocating, also higher than the third-quarter figure, when they accounted for 3.5%.

Author - Alla Shelyapina