Some 3.4 million people live in Russian cities affected by a severe demographic decline caused by youth migration and lack of jobs.

The RANEPA study shows that small towns in Russia have lost 314,500 inhabitants in the last decade, with vulnerable communities in the northern regions. Causes of the decline include job losses, aging infrastructure and lack of investment. Cities like Verhny Taghil and Trubcevsk face the risk of extinction. Young people are migrating to larger urban centers, and small towns' limited budgets hamper development. The government allocates insufficient resources to support them, focusing more on military spending.