Based on the data of the All-Russian population censuses (1989–2020) and current statistical records (1989–2023) the article analyzes the settlement system of Altai Krai against the background of the Russian Federation and the Siberian Federal District. Its structure, factors and mechanisms of formation and development are shown, the specifics of urban and rural settlement are revealed. The indicators of settlements network density, theirnumber of population and population density are considered. Particular attention is paid to the determination of the Altai Krai's place in the settlement system of the Russian Federation and SFD, to the study of the issues of uneven distribution of population and settlements, shifts in the settlement system of the region that have occurred in the last three decades. It is concluded that the settlement system of Altai Krai is characterized by a relativelyhigh degree of settlement of the territory, a relatively dense network of urban and rural settlements and extremely uneven spatial distribution of the population. During the analyzed period, there was a redistribution of population to super-large cities and largest villages and shrinkage of the middle layer of cities and rural settlements. There was the depopulation of significant territories, their falling out of the developed economic space and, as a consequence, the weakening of intra- and interregional interactions in the economy and social sphere.