Migration trends in Russia during 2023 and the shift to the four new regions
Between January and November 2023, about 87,600 people left the newly incorporated regions of Russia, a finding reported by RBC citing Rosstat data. The statistical service does not publish regional figures on a per-region basis, which makes it harder to see the exact distribution of movements across the four areas added to the federation in early 2022.
Demographer Igor Efremov notes that internal migration patterns are expected to shape population totals, yet in theory internal migration should yield zero net change. He explains that what is observed here is not a simple internal drift but a surge in migration exchange between Russia and the four newly integrated regions at the start of 2022. In other words, the apparent growth in movement reflects a shift in the overall migration balance rather than a conventional, region-by-region relocation trend.
Rosstat reported that the majority of people relocating in 2023 from the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) as well as from the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions chose destinations in the Krasnodar Territory and the Moscow Region. In the period from January to December 2023, approximately 14,000 people moved to the Krasnodar Territory and around 13,900 headed to the Moscow Region, illustrating a pronounced preference for these hubs.
The Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions became part of the Russian Federation following referendums conducted in September 2022. Since October 20, martial law has been in effect in these areas, a factor shaping who moves where and when.
Overall, observers describe the early departures from these regions as a humanitarian concern, highlighting the challenges tied to rapid administrative changes and population displacement. This situation underscores how geopolitical events can translate into measurable demographic shifts, influencing regional labor markets, housing demand, and public services across Russia.