| January 1897 (Russia): | 125,006,000 |
| December 1926 : | 147,000,000 / 167,676,000* |
| 1937: | 162,000,000 - 164,000,000** |
| January 1939: | 162,000,000 - 193,077,00** |
| End-year 1950: | 181,760,00 |
| January 1959: | 208,827,000 |
| January 1970: | 241,720 |
| 1985: | 272,000,000 |
| July 1991: | 293,047,571 |
* J.A Newth2 states 167 millions, RGAE3 states 147 millions.
** The census data from 1937 and 1939 is disputed. The censuses were classified, and estimates vary widely. The RGAE states roughly 162 millions for both censuses. Eric Hobsbawm[?]4 states 164 millions for 1937. J.A. Newth states 193 millions for 1939. See History of the Soviet Union.
Population growth rate: 0.7% (1991)
Birth rate: 17 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 74 years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/woman (1991)
Ethnic groups: The Soviet Union was one of the world's most ethnically diverse countries, with more than 100 distinct national ethnicities living within its borders.
Ethnic divisions: Russian 50.78%, Ukrainian 15.45%, Uzbek 5.84%, Belorussian (Byelorussian or Belarusian) 3.51%, Kazakh 2.85%, Azeri 2.38%, Armenian, 1.62%, Tajik 1.48%, Georgian 1.39%, Moldovan[?] 1.17%, Lithuanian 1.07%, Turkmen 0.95%, Kirghiz 0.89%, Latvian 0.51%, Estonian 0.36%, other 9.75%
Religion: Russian Orthodox 20%, Muslim 10%, Protestant, Georgian Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Roman Catholic 7%, Jewish less than 1%, atheist 60% (est.)
Language: Russian (official); more than 200 languages and dialects (at least 18 with more than 1 million speakers); Slavic group 75%, other Indo-European 8%, Altaic 12%, Uralian 3%, Caucasian 2%
Literacy: 98% (male 99%, female 97%) age 15 and over can read and write (1989)
Labor force: 152,300,000 civilians; industry and other nonagricultural fields 80%, agriculture 20%; shortage of skilled labor (1989).
References
1: CIA World Factbook 1991 - most figures.
2: J. A. Newth: The 1970 Soviet Census, Soviet Studies vol. 24, uissue 2 (October 1972) pp. 200-222. - Population figures from 1897 - 1970.
3: The Russian State Archive of the Economy:
Soviet Censuses of 1937 and 1939 - Population figures for 1937 and 1939.
http://www.library.yale.edu/slavic/census3739.html
4Eric Hobsbawm: The Age of Extremes, 1994 - population figure for 1937.
wikipedia.org dumped 2003-03-17 with terodump