Demographics (Population Dynamics, Urban/Rural Population, Gender and Age Breakdown, the Youth Cohort)

The First All-Russian Population Census of 1897 recorded 4,642 Nivkh, of which 2,673 were on the mainland and 1,969 on Sakhalin Island. Since then, the number has fluctuated: in 2002 it was 5,162 people, and in 2010 it dropped to 4,652. According to the 2020 All-Russian Population Census, it was 3,842 people. This number is at odds with current statistics, which are primarily used by government authorities to resolve practical issues. For example, in the Sakhalin region, as of January 1, 2023, 3,199 Nivkhs were recorded (according to the 2020 census - 1,851 people).

Nivkh live in equal parts in the Khabarovsk Territory and the Sakhalin Region

Currently, the processes of migration and miscegenation have become even more active. The Nivkh are a minority even in their places of settlement, and the percentage of interethnic marriages is significant. Until the 1920-1930s the Nivkh married either their own or the representatives of other indigenous peoples. According to Anna Smolyak, intermixed marriages with the Negidals were the most common in the Amur. There were no obstacles to entering into mixed marriages; they were even welcomed.

On the Amur, the Nivkh were always settled next to other minorities similar in their way of life, which facilitated marriages between them. On Sakhalin, there are more marriages with other ethnic groups, in particular with Koreans and Russians. When assessing demographic processes, it is advisable to take into account the history of the island.

On Sakhalin, especially in the Poronaisky district, there are many Nivkh-Korean families. In the families of the Sakhalin Koreans, the post-WWII memory of the dramatic fate of their parents, separated families, persecution, etc. is well preserved. This makes the generation born in the 1950s somewhat akin to the minorities, who also experienced discrimination, and whose self-awareness has been and remains stigmatized. In addition, a significant factor in interaction, kinship, and cooperation for the indigenous peoples is their Mongoloid appearance.

The peoples of the North are also characterized by the tendency to restore their ethnic identity, following the example of the Sakhalin Uilta (formerly the Oroks). This also led to a slight change in the overall demographic picture. The number of marriages between the Russians and other peoples, including labor migrants, is growing. In general, when registering the nationality of children in mixed families on the Amur in the Olcha (Ulch) districts, they can choose the nationality of either of the parents. On Sakhalin, the preference is often given to indigenous identity. According to the census of 2010, almost half of the Nivkh live in cities, but this rarely affects their lifestyle or identity, since they have the opportunity to engage in their main occupation, that of fishing. An acute issue for the Nivkh is their low life expectancy. According to the analytical reports from 2012-2013, in the Okhinsky and Nogliksky districts of the Sakhalin region, it was 55 and 47 years, respectively.