The contribution investigates geodemographic factors influencing the development of the rural population of the Volga Federal District (VFD) of Russia and its constituent entities. The work reveals geodemographic factors influencing the geodemographic situation of the district: socio-economic, natural-geographical, demographic and environmental, an analysis and assessment of changes in these factors in the VFD. The comparative dynamics of changes in the number of rural population and settlements, their location in the territory under consideration are considered. The influence of geodemographic factors on the dynamics and location of the population were also studied. An analysis of the dynamics of the main demographic indicators of the rural population of the district was carried out: birth rate, mortality, natural increase, as well as general marriage and divorce rates, migration processes, the number and location of rural municipalities and rural settlements during the study period. The authors have identified and substantiated the main trends in the development of these indicators using individual subjects of the Volga Federal District as an example. The study examined changes in geodemographic factors influencing the dynamics and location of the population from 2010 to 2023 in the Volga Federal District.