New demographic crisis coming up in Russia
An international group of demographers believes Russia after 2012 will experience an increasingly serious demographic crisis. They consider the current government measures to tackle the problem insufficient, and believe that population in the country by year 2050 might drop to 100 million.
According to a plan elaborated by the federal Ministry of Health and Social Development, the Russian population will be year 2015 be stabilized at 142-143 million and then by 2025 increase to 145 million people, newspaper Vedomosti reports.
However, demographers disagree with the official Russian estimates. According to a new UN report, the demographic crisis in Russia will only become more and more serious. By year 2025 the population will shrink to 125 million and then by year 2050 to 100 million, the report reads.
Less workers
With the shrinking population follows a shrinking Russian work force. By year 2020, the Russian labour market will be in need of 22 million more people. The low birth rates, high death rates and the lower work ability in the population puts the whole development of the country at jeopardy, Vedomosti writes.
Less children
While children constituted 24,5 percent of the Russian population in 1989, the number of children in 2007 had dropped to 16 percent of population. By year 2023 the number of children born per year will drop to less than one million from almost 1,5 million in 2006.
The demographers in the UN report explain the low birth rates with the housing problems and low living standards. According to one of the researchers, as much as 43 percent of the children in Russia live in families with incomes under the minimum wage limit.
Photo: Barentsphoto.com
