Editing Sakha Republic (section)

==Demographics==
Population: {{ru-census|p2021=995,686|p2010=958,528|p2002=949,280|p1989=1,081,408}} Population density is 0.31 per km<sup>2</sup> (2019), which is one of the lowest among Russian districts. Urban population: 65,45% (2018).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gks.ru/free_doc/doc_2018/bul_dr/mun_obr2018.rar|title=Population of Russian Federation on 1 January 2018|website=GKS}}</ref>

===Settlements===
{{Largest cities
| country      = the Sakha Republic
| stat_ref     = 2021 Russian Census
| list_by_pop  =
| div_name     =
| div_link     = Administrative divisions of the Sakha Republic{{!}}Administrative division
| city_1 = Yakutsk
| div_1 = Yakutsk{{!}}City of republic significance of Yakutsk
| pop_1 = 355,443
| img_1 = Якутск. Вид на центральную часть города (2).JPG
| city_2 = Neryungri
| div_2 = Neryungrinsky District
| pop_2 = 53,409
| img_2 = Нерюнгри. Проспект Дружбы народов.JPG
| city_3 = Mirny, Sakha Republic{{!}}Mirny
| div_3 = Mirninsky District
| pop_3 = 34,045
| img_3 = Center square in Mirny (Yakutia, Russia).jpg
| img_4 = Поездка в Северомуйск (150).jpg
| city_4 = Aldan, Russia{{!}}Aldan
| div_4 = Aldansky District
| pop_4 = 21,590
| city_5 = Lensk
| div_5 = Lensky District, Sakha Republic{{!}}Lensky District
| pop_5 = 21,392
| city_6 = Aykhal
| div_6 = Mirninsky District
| pop_6 = 13,370
| city_7 = Udachny
| div_7 = Mirninsky District
| pop_7 = 12,930
| city_8 = Suntar (rural locality){{!}}Suntar
| div_8 = Suntarsky District
| pop_8 = 10,302
| city_9 = Nyurba
| div_9 = Nyurbinsky District
| pop_9 = 10,138
| city_10 = Vilyuysk
| div_10 = Vilyuysky District
| pop_10 = 10,032
}}

=== Vital statistics ===
{{Historical populations
|type =
|footnote = Source: Census data, estimate<ref name=2025Estimate>{{cite web|title=Предварительная оценка численности постоянного населения на 1 января 2025 года|url=https://rosstat.gov.ru/storage/mediabank/PrPopul2025_Site.xlsx|publisher=[[Federal State Statistics Service (Russia)|Federal State Statistics Service]]|accessdate=3 February 2025}}</ref>
|[[Russian Empire census|1897]] | 269880
|[[1926 Soviet census|1926]] | 283468
|[[1939 Soviet census|1939]] | 413198
|[[1959 Soviet census|1959]] | 487343
|[[1970 Soviet census|1970]] | 664123
|[[1979 Soviet census|1979]] | 838808
|[[1989 Soviet census|1989]] | 1081408
|[[2002 Russian census|2002]] | 949280
|[[2010 Russian census|2010]] | 958528
|[[2021 Russian census|2021]] | 995686
|2025 | 1007058
}}
[[File:Sakha graph pop.png|thumb|right|Breakdown of population changes, 1939–2002]]
[[File:Ил Күнэ - День государственности Республики Саха 27.jpg|thumb|Statehood Day celebrations in [[Yakutsk]]]]
[[File:234 Поселок Витим.jpg|thumb|[[Vitim, Sakha Republic]]]]
[[File:078 Деревня Даппарай, Олекминский район.jpg|thumb|[[Dapparay]]]]
[[File:Ленские столбы 2015 (025).JPG|thumb|Cruise on the Lena River]]
Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20150527224330/http://www.gks.ru/dbscripts/cbsd/dbinet.cgi Russian Federal State Statistics Service]

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Year
! style="width:70pt;"|Average population (x 1000)
! style="width:70pt;"|Live births
! style="width:70pt;"|Deaths
! style="width:70pt;"|Natural change
! style="width:70pt;"|Crude birth rate (per 1000)
! style="width:70pt;"|Crude death rate (per 1000)
! style="width:70pt;"|Natural change (per 1000)
! style="width:70pt;"|Fertility rates
|-
| 1970
| style="text-align:right;"| 674
| style="text-align:right;"| 13,899
| style="text-align:right;"| 5,700
| style="text-align:right;"| 8,199
| style="text-align:right;"| 20.6
| style="text-align:right;"| 8.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 12.2
| style="text-align:right;"|
|-
| 1975
| style="text-align:right;"| 775
| style="text-align:right;"| 15,636
| style="text-align:right;"| 6,242
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,394
| style="text-align:right;"| 20.2
| style="text-align:right;"| 8.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 12.1
| style="text-align:right;"|
|-
| 1980
| style="text-align:right;"| 887
| style="text-align:right;"| 18,132
| style="text-align:right;"| 7,501
| style="text-align:right;"| 10,631
| style="text-align:right;"| 20.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 8.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 12.0
| style="text-align:right;"|
|-
| 1985
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,002
| style="text-align:right;"| 22,823
| style="text-align:right;"| 7,266
| style="text-align:right;"| 15,557
| style="text-align:right;"| 22.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 7.3
| style="text-align:right;"| 15.5
| style="text-align:right;"|
|-
| 1990
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,115
| style="text-align:right;"| 21,662
| style="text-align:right;"| 7,470
| style="text-align:right;"| 14,192
| style="text-align:right;"| 19.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 6.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 12.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 2.46
|-
| 1991
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,110
| style="text-align:right;"| 19,805
| style="text-align:right;"| 7,565
| style="text-align:right;"| 12,240
| style="text-align:right;"| 17.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 6.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 11.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 2.32
|-
| 1992
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,090
| style="text-align:right;"| 17,796
| style="text-align:right;"| 8,710
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,086
| style="text-align:right;"| 16.3
| style="text-align:right;"| 8.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 8.3
| style="text-align:right;"| 2.17
|-
| 1993
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,072
| style="text-align:right;"| 16,771
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,419
| style="text-align:right;"| 7,352
| style="text-align:right;"| 15.6
| style="text-align:right;"| 8.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 6.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 2.08
|-
| 1994
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,051
| style="text-align:right;"| 16,434
| style="text-align:right;"| 10,371
| style="text-align:right;"| 6,063
| style="text-align:right;"| 15.6
| style="text-align:right;"| 9.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 5.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 2.07
|-
| 1995
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,029
| style="text-align:right;"| 15,731
| style="text-align:right;"| 10,079
| style="text-align:right;"| 5,652
| style="text-align:right;"| 15.3
| style="text-align:right;"| 9.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 5.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 2.01
|-
| 1996
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,015
| style="text-align:right;"| 14,584
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,638
| style="text-align:right;"| 4,946
| style="text-align:right;"| 14.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 9.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 4.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.88
|-
| 1997
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,003
| style="text-align:right;"| 13,909
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,094
| style="text-align:right;"| 4,815
| style="text-align:right;"| 13.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 9.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 4.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.81
|-
| 1998
| style="text-align:right;"| 986
| style="text-align:right;"| 13,640
| style="text-align:right;"| 8,856
| style="text-align:right;"| 4,784
| style="text-align:right;"| 13.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 9.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 4.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.80
|-
| 1999
| style="text-align:right;"| 970
| style="text-align:right;"| 12,724
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,480
| style="text-align:right;"| 3,244
| style="text-align:right;"| 13.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 9.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 3.3
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.71
|-
| 2000
| style="text-align:right;"| 960
| style="text-align:right;"| 13,147
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,325
| style="text-align:right;"| 3,822
| style="text-align:right;"| 13.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 9.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 4.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.77
|-
| 2001
| style="text-align:right;"| 954
| style="text-align:right;"| 13,262
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,738
| style="text-align:right;"| 3,524
| style="text-align:right;"| 13.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 10.2
| style="text-align:right;"| 3.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.78
|-
| 2002
| style="text-align:right;"| 950
| style="text-align:right;"| 13,887
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,700
| style="text-align:right;"| 4,187
| style="text-align:right;"| 14.6
| style="text-align:right;"| 10.2
| style="text-align:right;"| 4.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.85
|-
| 2003
| style="text-align:right;"| 949
| style="text-align:right;"| 14,224
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,660
| style="text-align:right;"| 4,564
| style="text-align:right;"| 15.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 10.2
| style="text-align:right;"| 4.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.86
|-
| 2004
| style="text-align:right;"| 950
| style="text-align:right;"| 14,716
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,692
| style="text-align:right;"| 5,024
| style="text-align:right;"| 15.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 10.2
| style="text-align:right;"| 5.3
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.91
|-
| 2005
| style="text-align:right;"| 950
| style="text-align:right;"| 13,591
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,696
| style="text-align:right;"| 3,895
| style="text-align:right;"| 14.3
| style="text-align:right;"| 10.2
| style="text-align:right;"| 4.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.74
|-
| 2006
| style="text-align:right;"| 950
| style="text-align:right;"| 13,713
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,245
| style="text-align:right;"| 4,468
| style="text-align:right;"| 14.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 9.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 4.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.73
|-
| 2007
| style="text-align:right;"| 951
| style="text-align:right;"| 15,268
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,179
| style="text-align:right;"| 6,089
| style="text-align:right;"| 16.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 9.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 6.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.92
|-
| 2008
| style="text-align:right;"| 953
| style="text-align:right;"| 15,363
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,579
| style="text-align:right;"| 5,784
| style="text-align:right;"| 16.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 10.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 6.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.92
|-
| 2009
| style="text-align:right;"| 955
| style="text-align:right;"| 15,970
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,353
| style="text-align:right;"| 6,617
| style="text-align:right;"| 16.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 9.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 6.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 2.00
|-
| 2010
| style="text-align:right;"| 958
| style="text-align:right;"| 16,109
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,402
| style="text-align:right;"| 6,707
| style="text-align:right;"| 16.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 9.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 7.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 2.02
|-
| 2011
| style="text-align:right;"| 957
| style="text-align:right;"| 16,402
| style="text-align:right;"| 8,992
| style="text-align:right;"| 7,410
| style="text-align:right;"| 17.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 9.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 7.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 2.06
|-
| 2012
| style="text-align:right;"| 956
| style="text-align:right;"| 16,998
| style="text-align:right;"| 8,918
| style="text-align:right;"| 8,080
| style="text-align:right;"| 17.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 9.3
| style="text-align:right;"| 8.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 2.17
|-
| 2013
| style="text-align:right;"| 955
| style="text-align:right;"| 16,704
| style="text-align:right;"| 8,351
| style="text-align:right;"| 8,353
| style="text-align:right;"| 17.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 8.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 8.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 2.17
|-
| 2014
| style="text-align:right;"| 956
| style="text-align:right;"| 17,010
| style="text-align:right;"| 8,209
| style="text-align:right;"| 8,801
| style="text-align:right;"| 17.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 8.6
| style="text-align:right;"| 9.2
| style="text-align:right;"| 2.25
|-
| 2015
| style="text-align:right;"| 958
| style="text-align:right;"| 16,459
| style="text-align:right;"| 8,233
| style="text-align:right;"| 8,226
| style="text-align:right;"| 17.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 8.6
| style="text-align:right;"| 8.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 2.19
|-
| 2016
| style="text-align:right;"| 961
| style="text-align:right;"| 15,424
| style="text-align:right;"| 8,052
| style="text-align:right;"| 7,372
| style="text-align:right;"| 16.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 8.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 7.6
| style="text-align:right;"| 2.09
|-
| 2017
| style="text-align:right;"| 963
| style="text-align:right;"| 13,954
| style="text-align:right;"| 7,817
| style="text-align:right;"| 6,137
| style="text-align:right;"| 14.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 8.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 6.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.93
|-
| 2018
| style="text-align:right;"| 964
| style="text-align:right;"| 13,234
| style="text-align:right;"| 7,572
| style="text-align:right;"| 5,662
| style="text-align:right;"| 13.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 7.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 5.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.85
|-
| 2019
| style="text-align:right;"| 967
| style="text-align:right;"| 12,819
| style="text-align:right;"| 7,611
| style="text-align:right;"| 5,208
| style="text-align:right;"| 13.2
| style="text-align:right;"| 7.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 5.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.82
|-
| 2020
| style="text-align:right;"| 972
| style="text-align:right;"| 13,097
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,081
| style="text-align:right;"| 4,016
| style="text-align:right;"| 13.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 9.3
| style="text-align:right;"| 4.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.86
|-
| 2021
| style="text-align:right;"| 
| style="text-align:right;"| 12,309
| style="text-align:right;"| 10,600
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,709
| style="text-align:right;"| 12.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 10.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.73
|-
| 2022
| style="text-align:right;"| 
| style="text-align:right;"| 11,824
| style="text-align:right;"| 8,319
| style="text-align:right;"| 3,505
| style="text-align:right;"| 11.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 8.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 3.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.62
|-
| 2023
| style="text-align:right;"| 
| style="text-align:right;"| 11,194
| style="text-align:right;"| 7,721
| style="text-align:right;"| 3,473
| style="text-align:right;"| 11.2
| style="text-align:right;"| 7.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 3.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.55
|-
| 2024
| style="text-align:right;"| 
| style="text-align:right;"| 10,778
| style="text-align:right;"| 8,243
| style="text-align:right;"| 2,535
| style="text-align:right;"| 10.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 8.2
| style="text-align:right;"| 2.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.52
|}

===Ethnic groups===
[[File:Yhyakh dancers, Sangar, Yakutia.jpg|thumb|Yakuts celebrating [[Yhyakh]]. Yakuts form the easternmost indigenous community of Turkic peoples. ]]
[[File:Этническая карта Якутии по городским и сельским поселениям.png|thumb|500px|Ethnic map of Yakutia by urban and rural settlements, 2002 and 2010 censuses. {{Legend|#fa8072|[[Russians]]}}{{Legend|#90ee90|[[Yakuts|Yakuts/Sakha]]}}{{Legend|#20b2aa|[[Evenks]]}}{{Legend|#4682b4|[[Evens]]}}{{Legend|#4b0082|[[Chukchis]]}}{{Legend|#ff00ff|[[Yukaghir people|Yukagirs]]}}{{Legend|#008000|[[Dolgans]]}}]]
According to the [[Russian Census (2021)|2021 Census]], the ethnic composition was:<ref name=census2021>{{cite web|title=Национальный состав населения|url=https://rosstat.gov.ru/storage/mediabank/Tom5_tab1_VPN-2020.xlsx|publisher=[[Federal State Statistics Service (Russia)|Federal State Statistics Service]]|accessdate=30 December 2022}}</ref>
* 469,348 [[Sakha people|Sakha]] (55.3%)
* 276,986 [[Russians]] (32.6%)
* 24,334 [[Evenks]] (2.9%)
* 13,233 [[Evens]] (1.6%)
* 11,203 [[Kyrgyz people|Kyrgyz]] (1.3%)
* 7,169 [[Ukrainians]] (0.8%)
* 6,572 [[Buryats]] (0.8%)
* 5,620 [[Tajiks]] (0.7%)

Historical population figures are shown below:
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right;"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Ethnic<br />group
! colspan="2" | 1926 Census
! colspan="2" | 1939 Census
! colspan="2" | 1959 Census
! colspan="2" | 1970 Census
! colspan="2" | 1979 Census
! colspan="2" | 1989 Census
! colspan="2" | 2002 Census
! colspan="2" | 2010 Census
! colspan="2" | 2021 Census<sup>1</sup>
|-
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Sakha people|Sakha]]
|235,926
|81.6%
| rowspan="2"| 233,273
|rowspan="2"| 56.5%
| rowspan="2"| 226,053
|rowspan="2"| 46.4%
| 285,749
|43.0%
| 313,917
|36.9%
| 365,236
|33.4%
| 432,290
|45.5%
| 466,492
|49.9%
| 469,348
|55.3%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Dolgans]]
| 0
| 0.0%
| 10
|0.0%
| 64
|0.0%
| 408
|0.0%
| 1,272
|0.1%
| 1,906
|0.2%
| 2,147
|0.3%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Evenks]]
| 13,502
|4.7%
| 10,432
|2.5%
| 9,505
|2.0%
| 9,097
|1.4%
| 11,584
|1.4%
| 14,428
|1.3%
| 18,232
|1.9%
| 21,008
|2.2%
| 24,334
|2.9%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Evens]]
|738
|0.3%
| 3,133
|0.8%
| 3,537
|0.7%
| 6,471
|1.0%
| 5,763
|0.7%
| 8,668
|0.8%
| 11,657
|1.2%
| 15,071
|1.6%
| 13,233
|1.6%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Yukaghir]]
|396
|0.1%
| 267
|0.1%
| 285
|0.1%
| 400
|0.1%
| 526
|0.1%
| 697
|0.1%
| 1,097
|0.1%
| 1,281
|0.1%
| 1,510
|0.2%
|-
|align="left"| [[Chukchis]]
|1,298
| 0.4%
| 400
|0.1%
| 325
|0.1%
| 387
|0.1%
| 377
|0.0%
| 473
|0.0%
| 602
|0.1%
| 670
|0.1%
| 709
|0.1%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Russians]]
|30,156
|10.4%
| 146,741
|35.5%
| 215,328
|44.2%
| 314,308
|47.3%
| 429,588
|50.4%
| 550,263
|50.3%
| 390,671
|41.2%
| 353,649
|37.8%
| 276,986
|32.6%
|-
|align="left"| [[Ukrainians]]
|138
|0.0%
| 4,229
|1.0%
| 12,182
|2.5%
| 20,253
|3.0%
| 46,326
|5.4%
| 77,114
|7.0%
| 34,633
|3.6%
| 20,341
|2.2%
| 7,169
|0.8%
|-
|align="left"| [[Tatars]]
| 1,671
|0.6%
| 4,420
|1.1%
| 5,172
|1.1%
| 7,678
|1.2%
| 10.976
|1.3%
| 17,478
|1.6%
| 10,768
|1.1%
| 8,122
|0.9%
| 4,262
|0.5%
|-
|align="left"|  Others
|5,260
|1.8%
| 10,303
|2.5%
| 14,956
|3.1%
| 19,770
|3.0%
| 32,719
|3.8%
| 59,300
|5.4%
| 48,058
|5.1%
| 46,124
|4.9%
| 49,070
|5.8%
|-
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="19"| <sup>1</sup> <small>146,918 people were registered from administrative databases, and could not declare an ethnicity. It is estimated that the proportion of ethnicities in this group is the same as that of the declared group.</small><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.perepis-2010.ru/news/detail.php?ID=6936|title = Впн-2010}}</ref>
|}

===Languages===
The official languages are both Russian and [[Sakha language|Sakha]], also known as Yakut, which is spoken by roughly half of the republic's population. In the 2021 census, 95% of Yakuts, 72% of Evenks and 60% of Evens declared Sakha as their native language.<ref name=languages2021>{{cite web|title=Население наиболее многочисленных национальностей по родному языку|url=https://rosstat.gov.ru/storage/mediabank/Tom5_tab1_VPN-2020.xlsx|publisher=[[Federal State Statistics Service (Russia)|Federal State Statistics Service]]|accessdate=30 December 2022}}</ref> The Sakha language is a member of the [[Turkic languages|Turkic]] language family, belonging to the Siberian branch. It is closely related to the [[Dolgan language|Dolgan]] language of the former [[Taymyr Autonomous Okrug|Taymyr Dolgano-Nenets Autonomous Okrug]].

The Sakha Republic is also home to many of the world's speakers of [[Tungusic languages]], primarily of [[Evenki language|Evenki]] and [[Even language|Even]]. Additionally, [[Chukchi language|Chukchi]] and the lects of the [[Yukaghir languages|Yukaghir]] language family are spoken in the northeast.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="1" rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | Ethnicity 
! style="text-align:center;" colspan="3"| Native language
|-
! [[Russian language|Russian]] !! [[Sakha language|Sakha]] !! Other
|-
| [[Russians]] 
|99.4% || 0.4% || 0.2%
|-
| [[Yakuts]] 
|5.0% || 95.0% || 0.0%
|-
| [[Evenks]] 
|12.3% || 72.4% || 15.3%
|-
| [[Evens]] 
|10.7% || 60.2% || 29.1%
|-
|}

===Religion===
{{Bar box
|title=Religion in Sakha Republic as of 2012 (Sreda Arena Atlas)<ref name="2012ArenaAtlas">[http://sreda.org/en/arena "Arena: Atlas of Religions and Nationalities in Russia"]. Sreda, 2012.</ref><ref name="2012Arena-religion-maps">[http://c2.kommersant.ru/ISSUES.PHOTO/OGONIOK/2012/034/ogcyhjk2.jpg 2012 Arena Atlas Religion Maps]. "Ogonek", No. 34 (5243), 27/08/2012. Retrieved 21/04/2017. [https://web.archive.org/web/20170421154615/http://c2.kommersant.ru/ISSUES.PHOTO/OGONIOK/2012/034/ogcyhjk2.jpg Archived].</ref>
|float=right
|bars=
{{Bar percent|[[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodoxy]]|DarkOrchid|37.8}}
{{Bar percent|[[Protestantism in Russia|Protestantism]]|Navy|0.8}}
{{Bar percent|Other [[Christianity in Russia|Christians]]|DeepSkyBlue|0.8}}
{{Bar percent|[[Islam in Russia|Islam]]|Green|2}}
{{Bar percent|[[Tengrism]] and other native faiths|Red|13}}
{{Bar percent|[[Spiritual but not religious]]|DarkSlateGray|16.6}}
{{Bar percent|[[Atheism]] and [[irreligion]]|Black|25.6}}
{{Bar percent|Other and undeclared|Gray|4}}
}}

Before the arrival of the Russian Empire, the majority of the local population was [[Tengrist]], similar to the other Turkic people of Central Asia, or in Paleoasian indigenous [[shamanism]] with both 'light' (community leading) and 'dark' (healing through spirit journey) shamans. Under the Russians, the local population was converted to the [[Russian Orthodox Church]] and required to take Orthodox Christian names, but in practice generally continued to follow traditional religions. During the Soviet era, most or all of the shamans died without successors.
In the 1990s, a neopagan shamanist movement called ''aiyy yeurekhé'' was founded by the controversial journalist Ivan Ukhkhan and a philologist calling himself Téris.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/rss/28-1_113.pdf|title=Yakutia (Sakha) Faces a Religious Choice: Shamanism or Christianity}}</ref> This group and others cooperated to build a shaman temple in downtown Yakutsk in 2002.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/rss/33-1_057.pdf|title=Whose Steeple is Higher? Religious Competition in Siberia}}</ref>

[[File:Преображенская церковь ночью - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Transfiguration of Jesus Christ Cathedral in Yakutsk]]

Currently,{{when|date=March 2023}} while Orthodox Christianity maintains a following (however, with very few priests willing to be stationed outside of Yakutsk), there is interest and activity toward renewing the traditional religions. As of 2008, Orthodox leaders described the worldview of the republic's indigenous population (or, rather, those among the population who are not completely indifferent to religion) as ''dvoyeverie'' (dual belief system), or a "tendency toward [[syncretism]]", as evidenced by the locals sometimes first inviting a shaman, and then an Orthodox priest to carry out their rites in connection with some event in their life.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.taday.ru/text/135461.html
|title =В Якутии господствует двоеверие (Ч. 1) (Yakutia is dominated by a dual belief system)|author=Елена Дятлова (Yelena Dyatlova)
|date=October 1, 2008
|quote=Во многих случаях нам говорили, что при совершении тех или иных обрядов или просто действий приглашают сначала шамана, потом священника. Правда, именно в таком порядке, признавая христианство чем-то высшим по отношению к местной магической языческой традиции, но это соединяя. Даже среди тех представителей якутской интеллигенции, с которыми мы общались, это стремление к синкретизму было отчетливо приметно.
}} (An interview with Maxim Kozlov, a Moscow priest who had recently returned from a missionary trip down the Lena along with the Bishop of Yakutsk.)</ref>

According to the Information Center under the President of Sakha Republic (Информационный центр при Президенте РС(Я)), the religious demography of the republic was as follows:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.religare.ru/2_43720.html |title=РЕЛИГАРЕ – Современная религиозная ситуация в Республике Саха (Якутия): проблемы и перспективы |publisher=Religare.ru |access-date=February 25, 2014}}</ref> Orthodoxy: 44.9%, Shamanism: 26.2%, Non-religious: 23.0%, New religious movements: 2.4%, Islam: 1.2%, Buddhism: 1.0%, Protestantism: 0.9%, Catholicism: 0.4%.

According to a 2012 survey,<ref name="2012ArenaAtlas"/> 37.8% of the population of Sakha adheres to the [[Russian Orthodox Church]], 13% to [[Tengrism]] or Sakha [[Siberian shamanism|shamanism]], 2% to [[Islam]], 1% are unaffiliated [[Christians]], 1% to forms of [[Protestantism]], and 0.4% to [[Tibetan Buddhism]]. In addition, 26% of the population deems itself [[atheism|atheist]], 17% is "spiritual but not religious", and 1.8% follows other religions or did not give an answer to the question.<ref name="2012ArenaAtlas"/>

===Education===
{{See also|List of universities in the Sakha Republic}}

The most important facilities of higher education include [[North-Eastern Federal University]] (previously Yakutsk State University) and [[Yakutsk State Agricultural Academy]].