According to the Main Directorate of the Russian Interior Ministry for Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, the number of foreign nationals who arrived in the city for employment in the first half of 2026 decreased by 12.6 percent compared to the same period last year. The total number of people registered for migration purposes reached 172,862.
Statistics show that Uzbek nationals make up the majority of foreign workers in Saint Petersburg. In the first six months of this year, 108,999 citizens of Uzbekistan were registered in the city, which is 11.7 percent less than last year. A decline was also observed in the number of citizens from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, by 12.2 and 16.1 percent, respectively.
The decrease in the labor force inflow is also confirmed by statistics on permit documents. The number of patents issued over the half-year fell by 17.8 percent, and the number of concluded employment contracts dropped by 14.8 percent. Experts attribute this situation to tighter migration controls and changing demand from employers.
Furthermore, restrictions imposed in the city on working in taxi and courier services are impacting migrant activity. The issue of extending these bans until 2028 is currently under consideration. The city's Committee for Labor and Employment predicts that the downward trend in the number of migrants will persist until the end of the year.
