Return
  Dr. Belyaeva-Sachuk
Senior Research Fellow, Arctic Research Center, Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, Russian Academy of Sciences

Dr. Danilova
Research Fellow, Arctic Research Center, Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, Russian Academy of Sciences

 

 

 

 

 

Saami. Demographics

 

During the 20th century, the population of the Kola Saami remained unchanged, but their share in the Kola region decreased, in 1956 – 1.687 (0.30%), in 1989 – 1.615 persons (0.14%), in 2002 – 1.769 (0.2%), in 2010 – 1.599 (0.2%), in 2017 – 2.045.

The total number of Saami, according to the 2020 All-Russian Population Census, is 1,550 people (690 men and 860 women).

 

According to the Association of the Kola Saami and the Administration of the Lovozersky district, the majority of Saami (1,200) live in the Lovozersky district, the rest in the Kovdorsky (300) and Kola (245) districts; the rest (400 Saami) are scattered throughout the cities of the Murmansk region.


Lovozersky district Kovdorsky district Kolsky District  Murmansk region


 

In 2010 there were 639 Saami living in Lovozero, 148 in the city of Revda, 69, 10, and 7 in Krasnoschelye, Sosnovka and Kanevka, respectively.

 
639 - Lovozero
148 - Revda
69 - Krasnoschelye
10 - Sosnovka
7 - Kanevka



 

The majority of the Kola Saami are rural residents (59.2%).


59,20% - Urban
40,80% - Rural

 

Both in the urban and the rural populations there are more women than men. However, the difference is not significant: among the urban population there are 57.4% women, among the rural - 53.9%. If we take into account the age characteristics, the portion of women among people over 65 is 80.5%.

The median age of the Kola Saami in 2010 is 31.6 years. In comparison, the average age in the Murmansk region is 37.6, in the Russian Federation - 39 At the same time, the population below the working age makes up 26% of the total number of Saami, people of working age - 60%, and people older than working age - 14%.