NEWSWATCH: Is Russia’s Demographic Recovery at Risk of Reversal?

[“Is Russia’s Demographic Recovery at Risk of Reversal?” – The Unz Review – unz.com – Anatoly Karlin – January 30, 2015]

Antoly Karlin and The Unz Review examine Russia’s demographic shifts.

This year will mark yet another milestone in Russia’s steady post-1990s demographic recovery, with the population minus Crimea hitting 144.0 million as of January 1, 2015 … relative to 143.7 million in the same period last year. … the picture for January-November is positive; despite the continuing pressures of population ageing and the decline in the numbers of women in their childbearing age as the small 1990s cohort enters adulthood, both natality and mortality figures improved slightly relative to 2013. For the second consecutive year running in its post-Soviet history, Russia’s births will substantially supercede deaths. …

But will this happy state of affairs last?

Despite recent improvements, several factors could impact demographic trends otherwise in the future.

Although in the middle term a cessation and perhaps limited reversal of Russia’s demographic uptrend during the Putin years is virtually inevitable, there are a number of factors that will likely soften and considerably mitigate the end of Russia’s demographic uptrend.

* * * Fertility Trends … * * * Recession …. * * *  Vodka and Mortality …

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[featured image is file photo]