Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The United Kingdom fits inside Russia 70 times.
Russia: 17,125,200 km² (2023) · United Kingdom: 243,610 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Russia’s coastline is 3 times as long as the United Kingdom’s.
Russia: 37,653 km (2026 edition) · United Kingdom: 12,429 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Russia’s highest peak towers 4,297 m above the United Kingdom’s.
Russia: 5,642 m (2026 edition) · United Kingdom: 1,345 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Russia has 2.1 times as many people as the United Kingdom.
Russia: 144 million (2025) · United Kingdom: 69.5 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The United Kingdom is 33 times as densely populated as Russia.
Russia: 9 per km² (2025) · United Kingdom: 287 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the United Kingdom are 1.6 cm taller than in Russia.
Russia: 176.7 cm (2019) · United Kingdom: 178.2 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Russia and the United Kingdom are practically level.
Russia: 164.5 cm (2019) · United Kingdom: 163.9 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in the United Kingdom is 0.33 years older than in Russia.
Russia: 39.5 years (2023) · United Kingdom: 39.8 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the United Kingdom have 0.1 more children on average than in Russia.
Russia: 1.42 children per woman (2024) · United Kingdom: 1.55 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
20% of people in the United Kingdom are 65 or older, versus 18% in Russia.
Russia: 17.8% (2025) · United Kingdom: 19.7% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The United Kingdom has produced 15.8 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Russia 2.0.
Russia: 2 (2025) · United Kingdom: 15.8 (2025)
How many official languages?
Russia and the United Kingdom are practically level.
Russia: 1 (2026) · United Kingdom: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The United Kingdom’s economy is 56% larger than Russia’s.
Russia: $2.56 trillion (2025) · United Kingdom: $4 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The United Kingdom produces 30% more per person than Russia.
Russia: Int$49,568 (2025) · United Kingdom: Int$64,607 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Russia than in the United Kingdom (Gini 0.6 points higher).
Russia: 33 (2023) · United Kingdom: 32.4 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.7% in the United Kingdom, versus 2.1% in Russia.
Russia: 2.1% (2025) · United Kingdom: 4.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Russia spends 7.1% of its GDP on the military, the United Kingdom 2.3%.
Russia: 7.1% (2024) · United Kingdom: 2.3% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The United Kingdom’s price level (US = 100) is 2.5× Russia’s.
Russia: 35% (2025) · United Kingdom: 89% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The United Kingdom spends 5.8 times as much on health per person as Russia.
Russia: $1,003 (2023) · United Kingdom: $5,860 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in the United Kingdom live 7.9 years longer than in Russia.
Russia: 73.4 years (2024) · United Kingdom: 81.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
Russia and the United Kingdom are nearly identical here.
Russia: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · United Kingdom: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Russia has 55% more doctors per person than the United Kingdom.
Russia: 5.1 per 1,000 (2022) · United Kingdom: 3.3 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
29% of adults in the United Kingdom are obese, versus 21% in Russia.
Russia: 21.2% (2024) · United Kingdom: 29.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
27% of adults in Russia smoke, versus 13% in the United Kingdom.
Russia: 27% (2024) · United Kingdom: 12.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the United Kingdom rate their lives 0.86 points higher than in Russia.
Russia: 5.83 (2025) · United Kingdom: 6.69 (2025)
How much do people drink?
The United Kingdom and Russia are nearly identical here.
Russia: 10.4 litres (2023) · United Kingdom: 10.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Russia and the United Kingdom are nearly identical here.
Russia: 84.8 kg (2023) · United Kingdom: 84.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Russia has 94 kcal more food per person per day than the United Kingdom.
Russia: 3,528 kcal (2023) · United Kingdom: 3,435 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Russia put in 564 more hours a year than in the United Kingdom.
Russia: 2,087 hours (2023) · United Kingdom: 1,523 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the United Kingdom went to school 1.1 years longer than in Russia.
Russia: 12.4 years (2023) · United Kingdom: 13.5 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Russia: no data · United Kingdom: 0.55 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
95% of people in the United Kingdom are online, versus 94% in Russia.
Russia: 94% (2024) · United Kingdom: 95% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Russia and the United Kingdom are practically level.
Russia: 100% (2024) · United Kingdom: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
83% of people in the United Kingdom live in cities, versus 75% in Russia.
Russia: 75% (2025) · United Kingdom: 83% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Russia has 186 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the United Kingdom 122.
Russia: 186 (2024) · United Kingdom: 122 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Russia’s railway network is 5.3 times as long as the United Kingdom’s.
Russia: 85,544 km (2021) · United Kingdom: 16,179 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the United Kingdom fly 2.5 times as many passengers per resident as those from Russia.
Russia: 0.69 (2023) · United Kingdom: 1.71 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 50% of Russia, but only 13% of the United Kingdom.
Russia: 49.8% (2023) · United Kingdom: 13.3% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Russia emits 2.7 times as much CO₂ as someone in the United Kingdom.
Russia: 12.3 t (2024) · United Kingdom: 4.5 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
52% of the United Kingdom’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Russia.
Russia: 17.4% (2025) · United Kingdom: 52% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Russia carries 47% more fine dust than in the United Kingdom.
Russia: 12.9 µg/m³ (2024) · United Kingdom: 8.8 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 7 times as likely to be murdered in Russia as in the United Kingdom.
Russia: 7.8 per 100k (2024) · United Kingdom: 1.1 per 100k (2021)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Russia are 4.4 times as deadly as in the United Kingdom.
Russia: 10.6 per 100k (2021) · United Kingdom: 2.4 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The United Kingdom is on average 12.5 °C warmer than Russia.
Russia: -2.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · United Kingdom: 9.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The United Kingdom gets 82% more rain than Russia.
Russia: 586 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United Kingdom: 1,070 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Russia bigger than the United Kingdom?
Russia is larger. The United Kingdom fits inside Russia 70 times.
Which has more people, Russia or the United Kingdom?
Russia has 2.1 times as many people as the United Kingdom (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Russia or the United Kingdom?
People in the United Kingdom live 7.9 years longer than in Russia. Life expectancy at birth is 73.4 years in Russia and 81.4 in the United Kingdom.
Are people taller in Russia or the United Kingdom?
Men in the United Kingdom are 1.6 cm taller than in Russia (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
