Anyone interested to marry in Russia?

Anyone interested to marry in Russia?

In Russia, preliminary results of the population census, which took place last October, have been published. They reveal that 142 mln 900 thousand people are now living in Russia.

Despite the fact that in 2009, Russia saw an equilibrium between births and deaths, since the last census of 8 years ago, Russia’s population declined by more than 2 mln people. The number of deaths is still bigger than the number of births – but the same is true about all of Europe.

Experts say that the results of the census revealed nothing unexpected. "Most probably, no population growth can be expected till 2025," expert Vladimir Arkhangelskiy says.

“The situation may be far from ideal, but, at least, the death rate is declining considerably year on year. This is thanks to the government’s measures aimed at helping families with children, thus raising the birth rate and health care programs reducing death rates. The economic situation in the country is rather good – at least, in comparison with the 1990s. Still, our prospects are far from ideal. The age structure of the population is worsening. The number of women of childbearing age is declining, and the number of elderly women is growing. This means that in the foreseeable future – approximately till 2025 - the birth rate will most probably decline. The growth of immigration will hardly make up for it. This seems to be a pan-European tendency – in Western Europe, the birth rate today is as low as it is in Russia.”

Over 100 years ago, great Russian scientist Dmitry Mendeleev predicted that in the middle of the 21st century, there will be over 1 bln people in Russia. Today, scientists say that Russia’s natural resources can sustain such a number of people. However, Mendeleev could hardly have expected that in the 20th century Russia will live through devastating events like WWII. It is well known that the Soviet Union suffered more than any other nation in this war. Small wonder that in the early 1940s, much fewer children were born in Russia than in more stable times. Furthermore, it is quite logical that because few people were born during the war, their children are also not a populous generation. In the 1980s, thanks to the government’s demographic policy, the birth rate in the Soviet Union rose and the death rate lowered – but during the tumultuous early 1990s, this favorable balance was shattered.

It should also be noted that Mendeleev (who was, incidentally, the 17th child in the family), while making his calculations, was supposing that the population would increase at 1.5% a year. Today, even the most prosperous European countries can’t boast such figures. At best, population growth is 0% - that is, the death rate is the same as the birth rate.

However, in Russia’s two biggest cities – Moscow and St. Petersburg – the census noted a growth in population. In Moscow, from 2002 to 2010, the population grew up by 11%, exceeding 11.5 mln people. In St. Petersburg, the rate of population growth was nearly three times lower. In the last 8 years, its population grew by 4%. Today’s population of St. Pete is 4.8 mln people.

Census reveals population decline in Russia : Voice of Russia