[9] Vorkuta's population has dropped steadily since the fall of the Soviet Union, when mines were privatized and many people began moving farther south.

In 1931, a geologist settlement was established by the coal field, with most of the workers being inmates of the Ukhta-Pechora Camp of the GULAG (Ухтпечлаг, Ukhtpechlag).

During the Cold War, an Arctic Control Group forward staging base for strategic bombers was located at Vorkuta Sovetsky.

[18] Vorkuta has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc) with short cool summers and very cold, long, and snowy winters.

Vorkuta's climate is influenced both by its distance from the North Atlantic and the proximity to the Arctic Ocean, bringing cold air in spring.

This extends winters well into May and hinders the characteristic interior Russian summer warmth from reaching the city but for rare instances.

In spite of this, Vorkuta has less severe winters than areas a lot further south in Siberia courtesy of the minor maritime moderation that reaches it.

With winters being humid, snowfall is a lot more common than in areas further east and a sizeable snow pack is built up each year.

[21] As of the 2021 Census, the ethnic composition of Vorkuta was:[22] According to the former head of the executive committee of the local branch of the United Russia party, Anton Glushkov, the city's population statistics are very different from the real state of affairs.