Since the Middle Ages, the territory has been ruled by Khazars, Cumania, the Mongol-Tatar Golden Horde, the Tatar Astrakhan Khanate, and Russia.

Astrakhan region is the homeland of the Buzhans, one of several Slavic tribes from which modern Russians evolved;[15] they lived in Southern Russia and inhabited the area around the Buzan river.

[16][17] From August - December 1942, the German invaders reached the border of Astrakhansky Oblast, crossing into the region: the Abwehr from 1942 to 1943, Nazi Army stragglers 1941–44.

[13] From 8 October 1980 to 27 October 1984, and under the leadership of Nikolai Baibakov,[a] the USSR held fifteen deep underground nuclear tests for Nuclear Explosions for the National Economy at the site Vega in the Ryn Desert in the east of the oblast less than 50 km from downtown Astrakhan to create reservoirs for natural gas storage.

[21][22][23][24][25][26] On 30 October 1997, Astrakhan, alongside Kirov, Murmansk, Ulyanovsk, and Yaroslavl signed a power-sharing agreement with the government of Russia, granting it autonomy.

Since 1991, CPSU lost all the power, and the head of the Oblast administration, and eventually the governor was appointed/elected alongside elected regional parliament.

[37] Vital statistics for 2022:[38][39] Total fertility rate (2022):[40] 1.63 children per woman Life expectancy (2021):[33] Total — 69.90 years (male — 65.86, female — 73.87) According to the 2021 Census, the ethnic composition was:[41] (shown are the ethnic groups with a population of more than 5,000 people) The local group of Russian varieties is known as Astrakhan Russian and refers to several dialects spoken in and around the Astrakhan Oblast.

[44] Smaller religious communities not represented in the poll cited above but present in the region include Hindus, Jews and Buddhists, each having one temple in Astrakhan Oblast.