The Sverdlovsk Region Datasheet
The Sverdlovsk Region is a large industrial area in Russia with mining, metallurgy and mechanical engineering industries forming its economic basis. The region is rich in natural resources and possesses the diversified industrial complex, as well as significant scientific and human resources potential.
Geographical Position
The Sverdlovsk Region is located on the border between Europe and Asia, within the Ural mountain range including the Northern and Middle Urals, as well as the East European and West Siberian plains. It neighbors with the Komi Republic in the north-west, with the Republic of Bashkortostan in the west, with the Chelyabinsk Region in the south, the Kurgan Region in the south-east, the Tyumen Region in the east, and with Yugra - the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area - in the north-east. The area of the region is 194.3 thousand km2 (1.1% of Russian territory, the 16th place among Russian regions).
Natural Climate Conditions
The climate is continental with average January temperature from -16 °C to -20°C and average July temperature from +16°C to +19°C. The maximum temperature in summer may reach +40°C and in winter it may drop to -39°C. The average annual precipitation is 350-450 mm.
Natural Resources
As of January 1, 2025, there are 538 protected natural areas in the Sverdlovsk Region, with the total area of 1.5 million hectares, or 7.53% of the Sverdlovsk Region area.
The Red Book of the Sverdlovsk Region was published in 2018 and includes 343 species of plants, animals and mushrooms.
The Sverdlovsk Region is a catchment area of seven main rivers: Tavda, Tura, Pyshma, Iset, Chusovaya, Ufa, and Sylva. The inland fresh water system in the region is represented by 10,153 water bodies according to the State Water Register as of 2025. There are 129 water reservoirs maintained in the region, each in excess of 1 mln m3 and total volume of 2.26 km3. This includes 39 water reservoirs with the volume of more than 10 mln m3, of these, 7 water reservoirs with the volume of more than 100 mln m3, and 19 water reservoirs of long-term river flow regulation; 316 water reservoirs (ponds and water storage reservoirs) are less than 1 million m3.
The total area of forests in the Sverdlovsk Region as of 2025 was 16 mln hectares (82.5% of the total area of the region).
The Sverdlovsk Region mineral resources base plays an important role for Russia in regards of many types of useful minerals. 20% of all iron ore and 97% of vanadium recovered in Russia come from the Sverdlovsk Region. The regional mining complex includes mining enterprises, that extract ores of various metals and fluxes for metallurgical production by open pit and underground methods, and quarries that extract minerals for the production of construction materials (crushed stone, sand, clay). One third of Russia’s existing copper refining capacities are located at the enterprises of the region. The region is among top ten world leaders by alumina production volumes. The Sverdlovsk Region is a world leader in production of titanium alloys.
The leading minerals for the Sverdlovsk Region are: iron ores (11% of Russia’s reserves), chromium ores (1.8% of Russia’s reserves), bauxites (24% of Russia’s reserves), molybdenum (2.8% of Russia’s reserves), emeralds (100% of Russia’s reserves).
Almost all known types of common minerals have been identified in the entrails of the earth of the Sverdlovsk Region. The availability of stocks for each type with the existing productivity of enterprises is more than 100 years.
Population Number and Composition
The population of the region as of January 1, 2025 is 4,218,000 people. The share of urban population exceeds 85%. The population structure is dominated by the working-age population (55.9% of the total population). The share of the population younger than working age is 19.8%, older than working age – 24.3%.
Administrative System
The administrative center of the Sverdlovsk Region is the City of Ekaterinburg (1.6 mln residents) Among other cities, the largest ones are: Nizhny Tagil (336.2 thousand residents), Kamensk-Uralsky (163.5 thousand residents), and Pervouralsk (130.0 thousand residents).
Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region elected by direct suffrage for a term of 5 years is the principle officer of the region. The current Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region is Evgeny Vladimirovich Kuyvashev. He was elected on September 11, 2022. His third term of office is until 2027. He has been in charge of the region since May 2012. He is the Secretary of the Sverdlovsk Regional Branch of United Russia, the All-Russia Political Party.
The supreme and the only legislative (representative) body of state authority of the Sverdlovsk Region is the Legislative Assembly of the Sverdlovsk Region, including 50 deputies elected on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot for the term of 5 years: 25 deputies are elected over a single electoral district according to the lists of political parties, and 25 – over single-mandate election constituencies. The current Legislative Assembly of the Sverdlovsk Region as a whole was elected on September 19, 2021. The next election will take place in 2026. The Chair of the Legislative Assembly of the Sverdlovsk Region is Lyudmila Valentinovna Babushkina, member of United Russia party. There are 5 deputy factions formed in the Legislative Assembly of the Sverdlovsk Region: United Russia – 33 (66%) deputies, CPRF – 9, A Just Russia — For Truth – 4, LDPR – 2, New People – 2.
The Sverdlovsk Region has 94 municipal entities. 86 (91.49%) of 94 heads of municipal entities are members of United Russia political party. The most numerous are the regional branches of four political parties — United Russia, CPRF, LDPR and A Just Russia — For Truth, the local branches of which are present in most municipal entities.
Demography and National Policy
36,948 people were born from January to December 2024, or 95.9% compared to the level of January — December 2023; 57,874 people died, or 103.5% compared to the same period of 2023.
According to All-Russian Population Census 2020, around 84% of people determine themselves as belonging to Russian ethnicity. Herewith, there are 121 ethnic groups in the region and the most notable of them quantitatively are Tartars (around 2%), Tadjiks, Bashkirs, Mariys, Ukrainians, Kyrgyz, Azerbaijanis, and Armenians (each less than 1% of population) According to the List of Indigenous Small-Numbered Peoples of Russia, the Sverdlovsk Region is a place of residence of Mansi, small-numbered indigenous people of the Russian Federation (around 160 people).
The Sverdlovsk Region is attractive socially and economically to foreign citizens, who come to Russia with the purpose of temporary work. Among labor migrants in the Sverdlovsk Region, the most numerous ethnic groups are the Tadjik, the Kyrgyz, the Uzbek and the Azerbaijani.
About 9.5 thousand students from neighbouring countries and beyond, including the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America (all in all more than 90 states), study in higher schools of the Sverdlovsk Region.
Confessional configuration of the Sverdlovsk Region is also very diverse. As of March 1, 2025, 803 religious organizations representing 19 confessions were registered in the region. About 2/3 of these organizations belong to the Ekaterinburg Metropolitanate of the Russian Orthodox Church. There are 6 centralized religious Muslim organizations operating in the region that adhere to the principles of traditional Islam.
Transport Infrastructure
The Sverdlovsk Region has an advantageous geographical location. Lying in the center of Eurasian continent at the crossroads of trade and logistic ways, the region is the 3rd largest transport hub of the country and one of the key transit centers of Russia.
Koltsovo International Airport, the largest regional airport of Russia, is part of Airports of Regions Holding Company. In 2019, Koltsovo was recognized the best regional airport of Russia and CIS and entered top ten best airports of the world with the passenger flow from 5 to 10 million per year according to the World Airport Awards by Skytrax (Great Britain). In 2019, 2020 and 2022, the airport’s air-freight operations infrastructure was recognized the best in Russia as part of the Air Gateway of Russia award. In 2021, the airport received the maximum 5 stars of Skytrax COVID-19 Safety Rating.
More than 40 airlines fly from the airport to more than 100 destinations. More than 8 million passengers were served on flights in Koltsovo in 2024, which is 9% more than in the previous year. Ekaterinburg is in top 5 Russian cities in terms of passenger and cargo air service.
Sverdlovsk Railways is the main transit and processing center for cargo and passenger flows, providing transport and economic ties between the industrial regions of the Urals and Western Siberia and central, eastern and western territories of Russia and foreign countries. The service area of the Mainline is 1.8 mln km2 with the population over 10.5 million people, it services over 12,000 industrial companies. Every day, over 1,300 freighters, 60 passenger and 400 commuter trains run along the Sverdlovsk Mainline. The Sverdlovsk Railways provide for 11% of loading all Russian railways and takes the 2nd place according to this index. 137.1 mln ton freights were shipped from the Sverdlovsk Railways in 2024. In 2024, 33.3 mln passengers went from the passenger stations of the Sverdlovsk Railways, which is 4.6% more than in 2023.
The developed automobile roads network including the International Transport Corridor Berlin-Vladivostok and a system of federal automobile road corridors amounts to over 11 thousand kilometers. 6 federal automobile highways and 7 railway mainlines meet here.
The highway transport turnover (by large and medium-sized organizations) reached 8326,7 mln ton per km in the period from January to December 2024 or 89.3% compared to the level of 2023. In January - December 2024, 36.5 mln tons of freight were carried over with highway transport (by large and medium-sized organizations) or 113% compared to the level of 2023.
The Dry Port project provides for setting up of the so-called dry docks or logistic centers specialized in container carriage on the territory of the Sverdlovsk Region . Uralsky transport and logistic center near Apparatnaya station, C.I.T container terminals and the terminals of company Module, as well as distribution centers of retail chains (Sima Land, Ozon, Wildberries and other) are already operating as dry docks. In 2027, it is planned to put in operation the transport and logistical center Ekaterinburg near Sedelnikovo station.
Economy
The Sverdlovsk Region is one of the industrial leaders of the country, which has been successfully developing for many years and makes a tangible contribution to the gross regional product (hereinafter - GRP) of the Russian Federation - about 3%.
According to the results of 2023, the Sverdlovsk Region GRP amounted to 4128.1 bln Rubles (108.6% as to the level of 2022 in comparable prices).
By the volume of GRP, the Sverdlovsk Region’s economy is the eighth among the constituent entities of the Russian Federation according to the results of 2023.
In the center of the Sverdlovsk Region economic potential is its industrial complex (39% in GRP of the Sverdlovsk Region), which is one of the largest in the country. The Sverdlovsk Region belongs to ten basic regions of the Russian Federation, which produce about 50% of Russian industrial product.
The most important industries in the structure of the Sverdlovsk Region GRP production in 2023:
– manufacturing facilities – 29.6%;
– wholesale and retail trading; motor vehicle and motorcycle repair – 15.6%;
– real estate operations – 11.2%;
– handling and storage – 7.5%.
In 2023, the Sverdlovsk Region continued to to hold its steady position in the RF leaders group on main macroeconomic indicators:
the 4th place – in wholesale trade turnover;
the 5th place – in the volume of shipped product by manufacturing facilities; in the volume of fee-based services;
the 6th place – in retail trade turnover;
the 7th place – in the volume of total shipped industrial product.
Production Sector
The economy of the Sverdlovsk Region has been and continues to be the economy of industrial-type, with significant part of the added value created on manufacturing facilities.
To a large extent, the economic growth of the Sverdlovsk Region is determined precisely by the growth of its industrial production — about 31.7% of the gross regional product is produced at enterprises of processing and mining industries.
Over 96% of industrial production (excluding such types of activity as “Provision of electricity, gas and steam” and “Water supply and discharge, organization of waste collection and disposal”) falls at the processing sector having in its basis a large proportion of specialized industries, including raw and material-intensive ones — ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering, metalworking and chemical production, which account for about 70% of manufacturing facilities.
the volume of industrial products shipped by all organizations of the Sverdlovsk Region in 2024 according to the data of the Federal State Statistic Service Directorate for the Sverdlovsk Region and the Kurgan Region (Sverdlovskstat) was 4,398.3 bln Rubles, or 117.6% compared to 2023 in current prices, including:
- processing facilities – 3,772.2 bln Rubles, or 117.6 to the level of 2023 in current prices,
- provision of electricity, gas and steam – 308.9 bln Rubles, or 117.6%,
- extraction of minerals – 181.4 bln Rubles, or 143.9%.
The index of industrial production in 2024 was 104.7% to the level of 2023.
By sectors, production indexes in 2024 to the level of 2023 were:
- manufacturing facilities – 105.9%,
- provision of electricity, gas and steam – 97.4%,
- extraction of minerals – 101.5%.
Investment Opportunities
In January – December 2024, the volume of capital investments of all organizations (including small businesses and investments not monitored by direct statistical methods) was 898.2 bln Rubles, or 114.9% to the level of 2023 in comparable prices.
In the total investment, 80.4% are the investments of large and medium-sized businesses of the Sverdlovsk Region (722.6 bln Rubles).The biggest share of large and medium-sized businesses capital investments in the Sverdlovsk Region was provided by its production sector – 41.3%, or 298.7 bln Rubles.
Fuel and Energy Complex
Natural gas supply of the Sverdlovsk Region is realized along the main gas pipelines Bukhara-Ural, Bukhara-Ural I, SRTO-Ural, SRTO-Ural II, Urengoy-Chelybinsk I, Urengoy-Petrovsk, through the gas distribution stations (GDS) located in the Sverdlovsk Region. The total expansion of the external gas pipelines supplying gas from GDS to the consumers in the region is more than 19 thousand km.
The power supply network of the Sverdlovsk Region is well developed, there are interconnecting mains providing the possibility of sharing excess capacity with deficit power systems via the neighboring energy systems (of Perm, Kurgan and Chelyabinsk regions). The Sverdlovsk Region power plants gross installed capacity amounted to 10,6 GW for January 1, 2025.
The largest power plants located in the Sverdlovsk Region are Reftinskaya SDPP, Sredneuralskaya SDPP, Verkhnetagilskaya SDPP, Serovskaya SDPP, Novo-Sverdlovskaya CHPP, Nizhneturinskaya SDPP and Beloyarskaya NPP.
The largest generating companies in the Sverdlovsk Region are Kuzbassenergo JSC, EL5-Energo PJSC, Inter RAO-Electrogeneration JSC, OGK-2 PJSC, Sverdlovsky Branch of T Plus PJSC and Concern Rosenergoatom JSC.
The largest network organizations on the territory of the Sverdlovsk Region are MES Urals PJSC –the branch of FSK EES, Sverdlovenergo – the branch of Rosseti Ural PJSC, EESK JSC, Oblcommunenergo JSC, as well as the Sverdlovsk Energy Supply Directorate and the Gorkovsky Energy Supply Directorate – the subdivisions of Transenergo, the branch of RZhD OJSC.
The largest energy sales organizations on the territory of the Sverdlovsk Region are the Sverdlovsk Branch of EnergosbyT Plus JSC, Ekaterinburgenergosbyt JSC, Nizhnetagilskaya Energosbytovaya Kompaniya JSC, the branch of Rusatom Infrastructure Solutions JSC in the city of Novouralsk.
The production of electric energy in the Sverdlovsk Region energy system in 2024 amounted to 43.4 bln kWh, which is 9% more than the level of 2023.
In addition to this, the works on construction and putting in operation solar electric generating plants with total capacity of 37.9 MW are over in Artinsky urban district of the Sverdlovsk Region.
Agro-Industrial Complex
The Sverdlovsk Region has a rather strong complex of food and food-processing industry as well as agricultural production. In agriculture, priority is given to dairy cattle breeding, as well as poultry and pig breeding. In crop cultivation, the agrarians specialize on raising grains, coarse and rich fodder production. They also develop potato production and grow vegetables both in open fields and under glass. The main food and food-processing industries are production of dairy, meat, baking and oil and fat products.
There are about 300 agricultural organizations and over 700 farms including sole proprietors operating in the Sverdlovsk Region. 800 companies are involved in food and food-processing industries.
In 2024, the farms of all categories increased their production of livestock and poultry for slaughter (live weight) by 2.9% compared to the 2023, production of eggs – by 0.8% and production of milk – by 0.8% compared to the same period.
The volume of goods of own production shipped by the companies of food and food-processing industry in 2023 amounted to 258.1 bln Rubles, the index of industrial production of food products was 104.5%, beverages – 98.8.
The agricultural complex continues its work on implementation of investment projects in construction of new and modernization of existing capacities, renewal of agricultural vehicles fleet and acquiring equipment. In 2024, the volume of investments in agriculture amounted to 9,911.6 mln Rubles (110.7% as compared to 2023), in food and food-processing industry – 3,773.9 mln Rubles (127.2%).
International Cooperation
The Sverdlovsk Region maintains collaboration with foreign partners from over 120 countries of the world. The region holds the 3rd place among the Russian regions on the number of acting official missions of foreign states.
There are 13 official missions of foreign states (Azerbaijan, Belarus, Great Britain, Hungary, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, Kyrgyzstan, China, USA (temporarily suspended its operations), Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and France). In 2024, the Consulate General of the Republic of Belarus was open in Ekaterinburg.
There are 9 Honorary Consuls of foreign states (Armenia, Belarus, Hungary, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Italy, Turkey, Sri Lanka, and South Africa).
There are 5 official missions for promotion of business and culture:
– The Representative of Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry to the Sverdlovsk Region;
– The Trade Exchange Promotion Division (I.C.Е.) of the Embassy of Italy in the Russian Federation;
– The Head of Foreign Representative Office «KazakhExport» in the Ural Federal Okrug;
– The Center of French Language and Culture Alliance Française;
– Confucius Institute of the Ural Humanitarian Institute, UrFU.
The Sverdlovsk Region has 39 agreements on cooperation with federal governmental bodies and administrative territories of 23 foreign countries (Abkhazia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Vietnam, India, Zimbabwe, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Slovakia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Finland, Czech Republic, South Africa, and South Ossetia).
156 important international events with participation of executive bodies of the Sverdlovsk Regional Government and official representatives of foreign states were held in 2024, including 34 visits abroad, 53 receptions of foreign delegations and 69 meetings and other actions.
Foreign Economic Activity
According the Urals Customs Office, the foreign trade turnover of the Sverdlovsk Region in 2021 reached US Dollars 14.3 bln, which was 16.8% higher than in 2020. The export amounted to US Dollars 9.2 bln having grown by 21.1%, the import – US Dollars 5.1 bln having grown by 9.8%. Since 2022, the Customs statistical data are temporarily not publicly available.
Key indicators of foreign trade, thousand US $
|
Indicator |
2021 |
2020 |
Growth rate, % |
|
Turnover |
14,349 |
12,282 |
116.8% |
|
Export |
9,246 |
7,636 |
121.1% |
|
Import |
5,103 |
4,645 |
109.8% |
|
Balance |
4,144 |
2,991 |
|
The growth rates of trade with CIS countries outpaced the growth rates of trade with non-CIS countries.
The foreign trade results with CIS and non-CIS countries in 2021 compared to 2020, mln US Dollars.
|
Indicator |
CIS countries |
Non-CIS countries |
||||
| 2021 |
2020 |
Growth rate |
2021 |
2020 |
|
|
|
Turnover |
2,784 |
2,233 |
124.7% |
11,565 |
10,048 |
115.1% |
|
Export |
1,647 |
1,292 |
127.5% |
7,600 |
6,344 |
119.8% |
|
Import |
1,137 |
941 |
120.9% |
3,965 |
3,704 |
107.1% |
|
Balance |
509 |
351 |
|
3,634 |
2,640 |
|
The Sverdlovsk Region is traditionally export-oriented and regarding the results of 2021, it takes the 4th place by the volume of non-resource non-energy exports among all constituent territories of the Russian Federation (after Moscow, the Moscow Region and the Rostov Region).
The number of exporters (according to the data of 2021) is 2,233 enterprises, including 1,837 or 82.2% small and medium-sized ones.
The Sverdlovsk Region mainly exports metals and metal products, mechanical engineering products and products of chemical industry.
Its export in 2021 grew mostly due to increasing supplies of metals and metal products by 36% up to US Dollars 5.8 bln (the share in total export volume is 62.6% against 55.6% in 2020). Shipments of copper, mostly refined copper, increased by 1.5 times (mainly to China, Turkey, Egypt, USA).
In addition, the shipments of ferrous metals have grown by 1.43 times; shipment growth rate to CIS countries was higher than to non-CIS countries. Export of ferrous metals increased to Turkey, Mexico and Kazakhstan. Export of products from ferrous metals, mostly pipes, has grown by 1.56 times; shipments to non-COIS countries were growing faster than to CIS countries. Export of products from ferrous metals, mostly pipes, has grown to Turkey, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Export shipments of aluminum to Germany, USA, Japan and Korea went up by 10% ( they were substantially reduced in the previous year).
Reduction of supplies of titanium amounted to 20% (USA, Germany, France and Great Britain).
Reduction of mechanical engineering products amounted to 28%. Mostly as a result of reduction of military products shipments to Algeria and Egypt.
At that, there is a growth of shipments of other important groups of goods. The shipments of electric appliances to Kazakhstan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan have grown by 5%. The export of railway machinery has grown by 2.5 times, mostly at the expense of machines spare parts (to Kazakhstan and Mongolia). At that, the shipments of mechanic equipment went down by 2%.
The shipments of instrument manufacturing industry substantially reduced (by more than 2 times) mostly due to reduction of shipments of medical (breathing) equipment.
The shipments of wood have grown by 1.57 times up to US Dollars 338 mln, the share of this product in gross export volume amounted to 2.8%.
The shipments of chemical products went up by 1.53 times up to US Dollars 1,116 mln. The growth is mostly provided by increased shipments of non-organic chemical products by 44%. The shipments of cosmetic products have grown by 62%, polymers – by 2.7 times and rubber products – by 39%.
The export of food has grown by 23% up to US Dollars 125 mln, supplies of fats and oils have gone up by 20%, of sauces and dressings – by 62%, of pedigree poultry products – by 20%.
The export of mineral products has grown by 42% up to US Dollars 365 mln.
The import has grown mainly due to shipments of mechanical engineering products by 8% up to US Dollars 2.1 bln and of metal products by 16% up to US Dollars 1.5 billion. The import of mineral products (mostly thermal coal and metallurgical raw material) went down by 53%. Import of chemical products has grown by 27%.
International Business Events and Exhibitions
The Sverdlovsk Region is one of the largest Russian centers of international exhibition and convention activities. Every year, over 250 exhibitions and conventions of international and interregional level are held in the region. Lately, the region became the place of the following large international events:
- The SCO and BRIC Summits (June 2009);
- the 31st EU – Russia Summit (June 2013);
- the 10th Forum of Interregional Cooperation of Russia and Kazakhstan (November 2013);
- the 6th Russian – Azerbaijanian Forum (September 2015);
- the 5th Russian – Turkmenian Economic Forum (March 2016);
- II Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit GMIS-2019 (July 2019);
- Iranian – Russian Business Forum (July 2019);
- World Cities Day under the auspices of the United Nations Human Settlements Program – UN-Habitat (October 2019);
- Annual International Construction Forum and Exhibition 100+TechnoBuild (from 2017);
- WorldSkills National Championship of cross-cutting working professions in hi-tech industries (since 2019);
- International Festival of University Sports with participating teams from BRICS, SCO and CIS states (August, 19-21, 2023).
The most important international events held on the territory of the Sverdlovsk Region in 2023:
1. The International Industrial Exhibition INNOPROM
INNOPROM has been every year held in Ekaterinburg since 2010 and is the main Russian event in the field of industrial production devoted to the newest technologies and developments. The forum part of the exhibition offers the discussions of highly topical issues of modern manufacturing sector with participation of Russian and foreign experts, producers and politicians. The key sections of the exhibition and business program are digital manufacturing, metal working, automation and robotics, medical technology and rehabilitation equipment, power engineering technologies, industrial IT, new materials and technologies for cities.
2. Russian – Chinese EXPO
The Russian-Chinese expo is a combination of an exhibition and a forum devoted to the extension and diversification of trade and economic relations between the two countries. The EXPO events are focused on the topical areas of Russian-Chinese cooperation including such areas as interregional relations, tourism, education, finance, youth and culture. Special attention is given to the development of interregional ties.
3. International Construction Forum and Exhibition 100+ TechnoBUILD
100+ TechnoBUILD is a largest regional civil-engineering congress and exhibition of building technologies in the country, an effective communication platform for sharing best practices and meaningful dialogue on the issues of building industry development.
Science and Education
133 organizations in the Sverdlovsk Region are involved in research and development, including:
– 24 scientific institutions working under guidance of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences;
– 33 educational organizations (and their branches) with over 125 thousand students, among them 15 state organizations of higher education;
– 33 sector-specific research institutes (and branches);
– 43 industrial enterprises having their R&D divisions.
The high scientific potential of the region is ensured, among other things, by the presence of the Ural Federal University named after the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, ranked 516 in QS World University Rankings, one of the most reputable university ratings.
Among Russian regions, the Sverdlovsk Region takes:
the 2nd place (excluding Moscow, the Moscow Region and St.Petersburg) by number of issued patents (891 patent have been issued in the region, which is 3.3% of the total number of patents issued in the country – 27 324);
the 5th place by number of developed advanced production technologies (148);
the 4th place by number of applied advanced production technologies (15,732);
the 3nd place (excluding Moscow, the Moscow Region and St.Petersburg) by the volume of internal expenses for research and development (39.9 billion Rubles).
Innovative activity level of organizations of the Sverdlovsk Region is 12.1%.
The volume of innovative goods, works and services in the region amounts to 290.9 billion Rubles.
Proportion of innovative goods, works and services in the total volume of sold goods, works or services industrial production companies is 7.9%.
In order to create proper conditions for setting up the regional innovations system and increasing the demand for innovative products, the Sverdlovsk Region develops the innovative infrastructure – technology parks. 4 technology parks have been included in the Register of Technology Parks of the Sverdlovsk Region.
12 education and production clusters created in the framework of the Federal Project “Professionality” are operating in the Sverdlovsk Region in 2023:
4 clasters – in metallurgical production;
3 claster – in mechanical engineering;
1 claster – in construction;
2 clasters – in tourism and services;
1 claster – in pedagogics;
1 claster – in law enforcement and management.
In 20243, 14 state and municipal higher schools, 9 non-state higher schools and 13 affiliates of independent schools were operating in the Sverdlovsk Region.
According to the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, in the beginning of 2024/2025 academic year, there were 168 secondary professional schools working under the programs of secondary professional education (SPE), including the affiliate network. Among them, there are 113 independent organizations, including 100 state and 13 non-state schools, and 37 affiliates, among them 28 state and 9 non-state ones. Besides, 8 higher schools offered the trainings on SPE programs, including 6 state and 2 non-state ones, as well as 10 affiliates of state higher schools.
Culture and Art
The Sverdlovsk Region has a rich history of culture and art. Today, it organically blends in with the world cultural space owing to the development of painting and theater, architecture and music, literature and folk artistic crafts. The city of Verkhoturie is included in the List of Historic Settlements having a special meaning for culture and history of the Russian Federation. Around 1,800 sites of cultural heritage of the peoples of the Russian Federation are under state protection in the Middle Ural. There are 828 cultural and leisure facilities, around 900 museums of various forms of ownership and more than 800 public libraries. In the city of Ekaterinburg, there are 50 various museums. Every year, the museums of Ekaterinburg take part in the international event the Night of Museums. Ekaterinburg possesses one of the world biggest collection of monuments of architectural constructivism.
In present time, Ekaterinburg is one of the leading Russian theater centers, there are 36 professional theaters acting in the city, many of them tour not only in Russia, but also abroad. The Sverdlovsk State Academic Philharmonic Hall is one of the best in Russia, with the concert hall with the organ installed for 700 seats and a chamber hall for 120 seats. The Sverdlovsk Film Studio, the only studio outside Moscow and St.Petersburg making both documentary and feature films, works in Ekaterinburg since 1943.
In July 2021, the Hermitage-Ural Cultural and Educational Center opened its doors in Ekaterinburg. The Hermitage-Ural Cultural and Educational Center exhibits both temporary exhibitions of the State Hermitage and a permanent exhibition of Western European art objects, many of which were donated by the Hermitage to the Sverdlovsk Picture Gallery (since 1988 – the Ekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts) in gratitude for the preservation of its collections during the Great Patriotic War. They formed a memorial zone devoted to the period of evacuation in the years of Great Patriotic War.
A number of important for cultural life large-scale events are held in the region, such as:
– Ural Music Night international music festival;
– international book festival LINEA RUBRA
– Kolyada Plays international theater festival of contemporary drama art;
– PROJAZZ international music festival;
– NA GRANI international contemporary dance festival;
– Mad Days international music festival;
– Stenograffia international festival of street art;
– Petrushka the Great international festival of puppet theatres;
– EthnoPero international literary contest of short prose.
In 2024, the Sverdlovsk Region professional education in the area of culture and art maintained its leading positions among the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The three-tier system of education in the area of culture and art consisting of 143 municipal children art schools, 9 professional educational institutions and 34 educational institutions of supplementary education (children schools of art) administered by the Ministry of Culture of the Sverdlovsk Region, 2 higher professional institutions administered by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation – the Ural State Conservatory (Academy) named after M.P. Musorgsky and the Ekaterinburg State Theater Institute – continued providing the required succession of educational programs.
Tourist Resources
The Sverdlovsk Region is a leader of the Urals Federal District by the number of tourist trips. In 2023, the tourist flow in the region amounted to 3 million trips, the number of people who used collective accommodation facilities was over 2 million. Around 56 thousand foreign tourists visited the region in 2023.
According to the information of the Russian Union of Travel Industry, by the results of summer season, the region entered the top 10 leading regions popular with tourists.
The Sverdlovsk Region is characterized by combination of various types of tourism:
1) business travel in combination with organization of corporate holidays, business negotiations and meetings, participation in business and scientific congresses and exhibitions and other events, as well as corporate trainings. Over half of all guests coming to the Sverdlovsk Region and the city of Ekaterinburg are business travelers. Moreover, the travel industry experts note Ekaterinburg as one of the three best business travel regions of the Russian Federation. The total area of Ekaterinburg exhibition facilities is more than 100 thousand sq.meters;
2) culture-related tourism in combination with excursions, visiting museums, historic and cultural monuments and other culture-related places. The rich industrial and military patriotic heritage is a brand identity of the Sverdlovsk Region. There are unique objects available for the guests, which demonstrate the industrial and military heritage starting from XVIII century;
3) active tourism and recreation represented by unique natural characteristics of the Sverdlovsk Region, including existing mountain skiing facilities and natural landmarks. The interest towards bicycle/hiking ecological routes is also very high;
4) health and medical tourism. The natural potential of the Sverdlovsk region, including the availability of natural therapeutic resources, primarily mineral waters (including thermal waters) and natural therapeutic muds, is a factor contributing to the development of health tourism. There are more than 50 health resort organizations in the Sverdlovsk Region, which annually receive more than 300 thousand people.
The main resources are concentrated in the south-eastern part of the Sverdlovsk Region. The most famous mineral waters of the Sverdlovsk region are Obukhovskaya, Nizhneserginskaya and Turinskaya. Other promising deposits of mineral waters are Talitskaya and Tavdinskaya chloride sodium and iodo-bromine waters, as well as Lipovskaya and Nelobskaya radon waters, and Irginskaya sulfide water. The main health resort organizations of the Sverdlovsk Region using such natural factors as mineral waters and therapeutic muds include Obukhosky health resort (the Kamyshlov District), Samotsvet health resort (the Alapaevsk District), Nizhniye Sergi (the Nizhneserginsky District), Kuryi (the Sukhoy Log District), Rush (the city of Nizhny Tagil), Lipovka (the Rezh District), Mayan (the Talitsa District), and the Akvarel thermal complex (the Turinsky District).
Sports
In 2023, 18 international competitions with 8,178 participants (out of them, 435 were foreign sportsmen) were organized and carried out on the territory of the Sverdlovsk Region.
The International Festival of University Sports with participating university teams from BRICS, SCO and CIS states (the Festival) takes a special place in the sports calendar of the Sverdlovsk Region.
The Festival was successfully held in the period from August 19 to August 31, 2023. The sports program of the Festival including 14 athletic disciplines (badminton, basketball "3x3", boxing, table tennis, wrestling, taekwondo WTF, volleyball, mini-football, swimming, diving, judo, sambo, tennis, and rhythmic gymnastics) was organized in 6 sports venues, out of them 4 were the new facilities – the Judo Palace, the Water Sports Palace, the Center for Rhythmic and Aesthetic Gymnastics and the Center of Tennis “Greenwich”, as well as 2 other facilities – the Palace of Sporting Games and Ekaterinburg-EXPO Exhibition Center.
2,242 sportsmen – students from 36 countries of the world took part in the Festival competitions.
In 2024, the Sverdlovsk Region plans to host 15 international competitions.
Labor Market
The labor market of the Sverdlovsk Region shows a low level of unemployment in 2025. The level of registered unemployment has reduced by 32% – from 0.57% for 01.01.2024 to 0.39% for 01.01.2025.
The number of unemployed registered at the employment services has gone down by 29% – from 11,827 persons for 01.01.2024 to 8,397 persons for 01.01.2025.
In 2025, the average monthly salary per one employee, taking in account all organizations of the Sverdlovsk Region, according to the data of Sverdlovskstat, was 78,493 Rubles (121.4% to the level of 2023). The real salary turned out to be 112% to the level of 2023.
The salary of employees of large and medium-sized organizations of the Sverdlovsk Region in the said period was 86,201 Rubles.
Social Protection
The Sverdlovsk Region residents are provided all social security measures guaranteed both by the legislation of the Russian Federation and the legislation of the Sverdlovsk Region. Social allowances and compensations are paid in due time and in full.
The share of citizens who received social support in the total number of citizens entitled for relevant social support and who applied to the social protection agencies of the Sverdlovsk Region in 2023 amounted to 100%.
As of January 1, 2025, 0.81 million people (including family members – 1.46 million people) received various types of social payments through social protection agencies.
One of the key areas of the state social policy is the increase of the region residents welfare level. The most important instrument for solving this task is a social contract. Within the period from January 1 to December 31, 2024, 3,886 social contracts were concluded for job hunting, self-employment, other measures aimed at overcoming by the citizen of difficult life situation, or development of a private vegetable growing plot.
A complex system for state social support of families with children has been formed in the Sverdlovsk Region, including families raising orphans and children without parental care. Various programs and projects aimed at protecting children's rights, their social support and development are being implemented.
One of the most important projects is provision of maternity (family) capital. 6.1 thousand certificates were issued in 2024.
The complex of social support measures for families and children implemented in the Sverdlovsk Region has made it possible for several years to maintain the trend of increasing the number of large families living in the region.
Over the past 10 years, the number of large families has doubled, and as of January 1, 2025, there are more than 76 thousand families.
The Sverdlovsk region is a site for the pilot project of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation on comprehensive rehabilitation and habilitation of children with disabilities (2022 – 2024).
Regional NGOs are actively involved in inclusion and rehabilitation of people with disabilities. The non-profit organization Blagoe Delo has been working with people with mental and physical disabilities for many years and provides methodological and practical assistance to disabled people. The projects of the organization are supported by the Government of the Sverdlovsk Region and federal funds, including the President Grants Foundation. The methods and findings of Blagoe Delo are widely applied within the Russian Federation and abroad. Since 2019, the organization actively collaborates with the Kyrgyz Republic. The White Cane NGO realizes a substantial number of interregional and international events on socialization and rehabilitation of people with disabilities and training in inclusive volunteering. One of their most significant and unique projects is The Sails of Spirit, sailing regattas in Russia and abroad for visually impaired people.
Health Care
In 2025, 133 state medical organizations provided their services in the Sverdlovsk Region, and out of them, including 24 central district hospitals, 6 district hospitals, 37 city hospitals, 7 children's city hospitals and 27 dental polyclinics.
The emergency medical service is equipped with 566 ambulance cars, of which 2.6% are A-class vehicles, 82.3% are B- class vehicles and 15.0% are C- class (reanimation cars). 122 cars belong to the category of cross-country vehicles. All emergency service facilities are equipped with the ADIS dispatch service automation software, and ambulance cars are equipped with GLONASS/GPS satellite navigation system.
Special stations of the Sverdlovsk Region Healthcare Institution Territorial Disaster Medicine Center for provision of medical care to victims of road accidents are organized on the federal highways in the Sverdlovsk Region
High-tech medical care based on modern achievements of science and technology is part of specialized medical care. High-tech medical care is provided in 33 medical organizations in the following medical specialties: organ and tissue transplantation, heart and vessels endovascular surgery, aortic valve-preserving surgeries, great vessels endoprosthetic surgeries, endoprosthetic replacement of appendicular joints. When there are medical indications, the patients are referred to federal medical centers of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.
In 2024, the high-tech medical care provision in the Sverdlovsk Region (the ratio of those who received a medical service to the number of patients in need) was 98%.
The staffing level of state medical organizations in the Sverdlovsk Region with medical personnel in terms of occupied positions by the end of 2024 was 95%.
The staffing level with the nursing personnel in terms of occupied positions in the end of 2024 was 96%.
As of April, 2025