Belarus Population

Population Distribution

As of 2023, the latest population of Belarus is 9,477,918, based on our calculation of the current data from UN (United Nations).

Total population	9,477,918
Population growth rate	-0.27%
Birth rate	10.30 births per 1,000 people
Life expectancy
Overall life expectancy	71.81 years
Men life expectancy	66.14 years
Women life expectancy	77.82 years
Age structure
0-14 years	15.91%
15-64 years	68.87%
65 years and above	15.22%
Median age	39.60 years
Gender ratio (Male to Female)	0.87
Population density	45.65 residents per km²
Urbanization	70.90%
Ethnicities
81% Belarusians (Belarusians), 11% Russians, 4% Poles, 2% Ukrainians and Tatars and others
Religions
Members of the Eastern Orthodox Churches 80%, others (including Catholics (Roman Catholic), Protestants, Jews, Muslims) 20%
Human Development Index (HDI)	0.817
HDI ranking	50th out of 194

People in Belarus

9.5 million people live in Belarus. The majority of them live in a city, namely 79 out of 100 people. Minsk is the largest city with just under two million residents. Gomel, Mahiljou, Vitebsk, Hrodna and Brest are other large cities with at least 300,000 residents.

The birth rate is low with 1.5 children and so the population has been falling since 1993. In 1989 more than ten million people lived in the country. The population is also getting older.

Most of the residents are Belarusians, namely 83 percent. The largest minority are Russians with 8.3 percent. Poles and Ukrainians are represented with 3.1 and 1.7 percent.

Languages in Belarus

Belarusian and Russian are the two official languages in the country. However, the majority of 75 percent speak Russian on a daily basis. The language of instruction is also Russian. Only twelve percent speak Belarusian every day. Then there is a mixture of both languages. This mixed language is called Trassjanka.

Belarusian developed from a common language with Russian and Ukrainian. To a certain extent, the speakers understand each other. Like these two languages, Belarusian is also written in the Cyrillic alphabet. But there is also the letter ў and again three letters that occur in Russian are missing (и, щ and ъ).

Spelling follows the sounds in Russian. While in Russian an unstressed o is pronounced like a, in Belarusian it is actually written with a. Water is written in Russian вода, in Belarusian вада. But the words are pronounced the same (wadá). However, the sounds h and g are both represented by the letter г. Hence, Gomel and Homel are names for the same city.

Belorussian also differs from Russian by a few borrowings from Polish, i.e. its western neighbor. The vocabulary also shows some other differences.

Religions in Belarus

82 percent of the population belong to the Russian Orthodox Church. The remainder are divided between Roman Catholic, Protestant, Muslim and Jewish communities.

Belarus Overview

Belarus, located in Eastern Europe, is famous for its picturesque landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and Soviet-era architecture. The country’s capital city, Minsk, boasts grand boulevards, monumental squares, and imposing Stalinist buildings, offering a glimpse into its socialist past. Belarus is known for its expansive forests, pristine lakes, and charming villages, making it a haven for outdoor enthusiasts and eco-tourists. The country’s cultural scene thrives with traditional music, dance, and literature, while its historical sites like the Mir Castle Complex and Nesvizh Palace showcase its medieval heritage.

Capital City: Minsk
Population: Approximately 9.4 million
Area: 207,600 square kilometers
Full Country Name: Republic of Belarus
Currency: Belarusian Ruble (BYN)
Language: Belarusian, Russian
ISO Country Codes: BY, BLR

Bordering Countries of Belarus

Belarus is a landlocked country located in Eastern Europe, bordered by seven countries. To the north lies Lithuania, with Latvia to the northwest and Russia to the east. To the south lies Ukraine, and to the southwest lies Poland. The country is also bordered by two parts of Russia: Kaliningrad Oblast in the west, and Smolensk Oblast in the northwest.

Lithuania is a small country located on the Baltic Sea, just south of Belarus. It was part of the former Soviet Union until its independence in 1990. Lithuania has a population of around 2.8 million people, and its capital city is Vilnius. Lithuania has an open economy based on services (especially IT), manufacturing, and agriculture; it also has an important energy sector due to its proximity to Russia.

Latvia is another small Baltic nation located just west of Belarus; it gained independence from Soviet rule in 1991 after decades of occupation. Latvia has a population of around 1.9 million people with Riga as its capital city; it also has a well-developed economy based mainly on services (especially IT), manufacturing, and agriculture as well as some tourism activity due to its picturesque coastline along the Baltic Sea.

Russia is one of Belarus’ most important neighbors; it borders Belarus both directly through Kaliningrad Oblast in the west and Smolensk Oblast in the northwest as well as indirectly through Lithuania which borders Belarus to its north. Russia is one of the world’s largest countries with a population over 140 million people; Moscow is its capital city and it has an economy that relies heavily on oil & gas exports as well as other resources such as timber & minerals from Siberia (its eastern region).

Ukraine borders Belarus directly to its south; this large European country gained independence from Soviet rule in 1991 after decades of occupation by Moscow during which time it was known as “The Breadbasket” due to its vast agricultural resources which were heavily exploited by Soviet authorities for their own benefit during this period. The population of Ukraine stands at around 45 million with Kiev being its capital city; while much progress has been made since gaining independence, Ukraine remains one of Europe’s poorer countries with an economy still heavily reliant on agriculture & industry rather than services & technology-based industries like those found elsewhere in Europe

Poland shares a short border with Belarus along their common western frontier; this landlocked nation gained independence from Soviet rule following World War II and currently boasts a population over 38 million people with Warsaw being its capital city. Poland’s economy today consists mainly of services (especially IT) alongside some manufacturing & agriculture activity; much progress has been made since gaining freedom from foreign oppression but there are still many areas where development could be improved upon throughout this large European nation

Belarus is bordered by seven countries: Lithuania to the north, Latvia to the northwest, Russia both directly (through Kaliningrad Oblast & Smolensk Oblast) and indirectly (through Lithuania) to east & northeast respectively, Ukraine directly to the south, and Poland along their shared western border. All these nations have different economic systems ranging from open market economies such as those found in Lithuania & Latvia through more centrally planned models like those seen in Russia or Ukraine up until recently, while Poland can be seen somewhere between these two extremes.