It is hard to deny that in the last couple of years we can observe a large outflow of Russians from the country. This trend started in 2022 and so far it is not coming to an end. And if in the beginning people simply sought to change their place of residence, now they want to find the most comfortable location, where they can literally feel at home. Therefore, when planning a move, it is worth finding out which countries have the largest Russian diaspora. To write this article, we interviewed Irina Metzler, migration lawyer at Trust Group, and received the following information.
European countries
First of all, Russian speakers have always sought to move to Europe for permanent residence, because here you can get a good education and later work, and also European countries have an interesting history and culture in general.
France
There are approximately 500,000 Russians living in France, among them Russian Jews. In some cases, France is the country from which people leave to find a new place to live or go home. In total, about 1.5 million people have come here. Almost all immigrants choose Paris, Marseille and other major cities as a place of residence. Since the last century Russian-speaking schools and printed periodicals have been working in the country, which makes the adaptation process easier.
Germany
It is difficult to say how many Russians live in Germany, because throughout history these countries have always been close. The approximate number of ethnic Russians on the territory of Germany is 2 million people, and the total number of Russian speakers is about 5 million.
Latvia and Estonia
90% of the population of these countries speak Russian, and a large wave of immigrants arrived after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Russians are only ¼ of the total population of these countries. As of 2022, there were 450,000 Russian speakers in Latvia and 320,000 in Estonia (that’s more than 23% of the total population).
Asia
Unique culture, the opportunity to find a job or develop their own business are the main reasons for moving.
China
Since business and industry in China are developing quickly and efficiently, there are now 20,000 people from Russia living here. In addition, immigrants can feel almost at home, for example, CGTN (China Global Television Network) TV channel is working 24/7 in Russian, there is also a newspaper and schools where the adaptation process is much easier, and there are Russian-language educational institutions.
North America
Here there is everything for a comfortable and happy life – it is a unique wealth of nature, prestigious educational institutions and the opportunity to find a job with a high salary. It is true that it is rather difficult to get here. People from Russia choose to move to the USA and Canada.
USA
If you believe unofficial data, the United States is one of the three countries where Russians move most often. Immigrants first came here in the 18th century. The next waves of emigration were associated with the fall of the Russian Empire, then moved about 100 thousand people, with “Perestroika” and the emergence of the Russian Federation.
Now there are more than 3.5 million Russian-speaking citizens in the United States, they make up 1% of the total population. The trend of moving to the U.S. appeared again 10 years ago and is still relevant.
Canada
A huge country, the area of which is second only to Russia. It has excellent ski resorts and higher education institutions, but the main pride is maple syrup. During the Second World War and after the collapse of the USSR Russians began to move here. Now there are more than 620 thousand Russian-speakers living in Canada. Predominantly they live in the provinces of Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.
South America
It has a great climate and relatively low prices, with a decent standard of living and a very simple citizenship process in some countries.
Argentina
When universal conscription was introduced in the 1880s in the Russian Empire, the first Russian immigrants came to Argentina. In the next decade, Russian Jews began to come here, then immigration was triggered by the Civil War and the collapse of the USSR. According to the data from unofficial sources, more than 300 thousand Russians live in Argentina.
Australia
Australia has a very strong economy, which is a condition for a high standard of living and the development of technology, it is chosen for relocation in the field of IT.
CIS
Countries such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are a target for Russian residents because of their favorable geographical location and affordable prices. For example, in Kazakhstan there are almost 3.8 million Russian speakers, which is 18% of the total population. Trust Group Company provides full assistance in immigration to another country and registration of second citizenship.
