ABSTRACT
At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Russia confronts a number of demographic challenges. Since Russia became independent in 1992, the combination of declining fertility, increasing mortality, an aging population, and reduced levels of immigration has caused the country’s population to begin to decline. While Russia’s population has fallen by only 3 percent, the rate of decline has begun to accelerate in the past few years and is expected to continue to the plausible limit of demographic projections. This situation has alarmed the country’s leadership, who worry about the effects of this decline on Russia’s status as a superpower, and Russian nationalists who fear—probably prematurely—the demise of the Russian nation. Qualitatively, the health of the Russian population—already low by international standards—has worsened significantly during the transition period. Russia’s highly trained labor force has shown signs of deteriorating, as access to educational places is no longer guaranteed and many of the country’s best and brightest have left. The rapid aging of the Russian population, caused in part by the steep fertility decline, has made caring for the country’s elderly population an increasing financial burden.
