Determinants of Subnational Urban Primacy: Evidence from Post-Soviet Russia

Russia is a heterogeneously populated country. Despite low urban primacy at the national level, some regions experience extreme dominance of one core city due to the Soviet legacy. Current migration trends strengthen demographic disparities on the regional scale. However, sub-national urban primacy and its determinants are not a problem broadly addressed in the current literature. This thesis attempts to fill the existing gap with new insights and analysis of these determinants on a regional level. Applying panel data from Russian regions from 2005 to 2019, I investigate factors affecting urban primacy in the regions. The results suggest that industry, trade openness (where the primate city has a port), higher education, and capital city status promote higher primacy in Russian regions. Meanwhile, population, trade openness (where there is no port), and territorial expanse contribute to a more even population distribution.