As of May 2026, the population of Belarus is 9.4 million. The number of inhabitants has decreased by 41 thousand in the last year, representing a decline of 0.44%. The median age of the population has increased in recent years, rising from 39 years in 2016 to 41.8 years in 2026. Currently, life expectancy at birth is 75.6 years and population density is 46.2 inhabitants per square kilometer.
The population growth rate of Belarus peaked in 1961, reaching around 1.27% annually, but has since declined to approximately -0.44% in 2026. The annual increase in the number of people has also decreased from a peak of around 107.78 thousand in 1961 to nearly -40.85 thousand in 2026.
In Belarus, life expectancy at birth has been increasing, with the indicator rising from 70 years in 2006 to 75.6 years in 2026, representing an increase of almost 6 years over the past 2 decades.
Belarus has several cities considered medium-sized by their number of inhabitants, but there are also some large ones. The most populous city is Minsk, Minsk City, con una diferencia significativa sobre las demás, alcanzando approximately 1.7 million inhabitants. It is followed by Homyel', Homyel’ Voblasc’ with 501.1 thousand and Hrodna, Grodnenskaya with 361.1 thousand.
These are the 20 most populous cities in Belarus:
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minsk, Minsk City | 1,742,124 |
| 2 | Homyel', Homyel’ Voblasc’ | 501,102 |
| 3 | Hrodna, Grodnenskaya | 361,115 |
| 4 | Vitebsk | 358,395 |
| 5 | Mahilyow, Mogilev | 353,110 |
| 6 | Brest | 344,470 |
| 7 | Bobruysk, Mogilev | 207,351 |
| 8 | Baranovichi, Brest | 171,361 |
| 9 | Barysaw, Minsk | 135,696 |
| 10 | Pinsk, Brest | 124,295 |
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Mazyr, Homyel’ Voblasc’ | 105,152 |
| 12 | Lida, Grodnenskaya | 103,916 |
| 13 | Orsha, Vitebsk | 102,759 |
| 14 | Soligorsk, Minsk | 97,818 |
| 15 | Novopolotsk, Vitebsk | 95,717 |
| 16 | Maladziečna, Minsk | 89,068 |
| 17 | Polotsk, Vitebsk | 79,579 |
| 18 | Zhlobin, Homyel’ Voblasc’ | 76,844 |
| 19 | Rechytsa, Homyel’ Voblasc’ | 65,213 |
| 20 | Horad Zhodzina, Minsk | 63,744 |