For the last two decades, demographics and its effect on Russian society and future development prospects have been at the center of the discussions on that country. There is now universal agreement that unless Russia solves this most serious problem, its status as a world power will be seriously compromised. A new government offers the possibility of properly addressing this issue.
Demographics has been called the king-maker of countries, and some say of civilizations, but it can also be their downfall. Russia's experiencing over the last decades is similar to that of several rich countries; a rapidly aging of population couple with falling birthrates. However, while the rich industrialized countries have rising life spans, those in Russia are seriously compromised by the relatively low health status of its population.
It is estimated that between 1993 and 2010 Russia's population decreased from 148.6 million to 141.9 million people. If existing trends continue, Russia's population will be between 100-107 million by 2050, a looming disaster for such a large country, a country with 40 percent of the world's natural resources.
When he first came to power in 2000, Putin tried to counteract the country's depopulation by giving housing priorities and a special allowance of 7,000 rubles ($250) per child monthly to families with more than three children. In addition, Putin tried carrying out policies to stimulate immigration, particularly of Russian-language speakers from former Soviet republics. Those policies didn't produce the expected results.
For the last 40 years, fertility rates in Russia have been unable to provide for the replacement of its population. Although fertility rates have increased from about 1.2 children-per-woman in 2002 to approximately 1.6 in 2011, those numbers are still short of the 2.15 level which experts estimate is needed to sustain the population.
A 2008 UN report, "Demographic Policy in Russia: From Reflection to Action," stressed that among the main causes of low fertility are financial difficulties associated with the perception that conditions in the country are not the most favorable for raising children. That situation is worsened by poor reproductive health support services, widespread abortions and infertility.
The number of ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking people migrating from outside the Russian Federation have not compensated so far for the decreasing population trends. These migrants, in addition, tend to have low-paying jobs and as such, do not have a significant input in the economic growth of the country.
The Russian government's plans to encourage immigration are at odds with Russians' opposition to this policy. Xenophobia is on the rise and Russians tend to strongly favor a Russia for ethnic Russians only. Should economic conditions deteriorate, resentment against immigrants will also grow and this will in turn contribute to keeping population levels low.
Equally important as Russia's demographic crisis and coupled to it is the crisis in its public health system and the health status of its population. In 2010, Putin acknowledged that Russia needed to start a large-scale health care reform in 2011. He promised to allocate $10 billion over the next two years to modernize medical institutions in the country. However, Russia needs to address other serious issues that have a negative effect on people's health, such as the high rates of smoking, alcohol consumption, and HIV/AIDS. These health problems have a direct effect on the country's high level of premature mortality. In Russia, the probability that a 15-year-old boy will die before he reaches 60 is more than 40 percent.
Russia and China are world leaders in smoking, but while in Russia women are heavy smokers by world standards only 2% of Chinese women smoke. It is estimated that between 350,000 and 400,000 people die each year in Russia due to smoking-related diseases.
Alcohol consumption continues to be extremely high, despite some government efforts to curb it. Each year, 500,000 Russians die due to alcohol-related illnesses, accidents and crimes. In addition, it is estimated that more than 10 million children aged 10 to 14 drink alcohol.
According to the World Health Organization heart disease, aggravated by alcoholism and tobacco, accounts for more than 1.2 million deaths every year. HIV/AIDS is a growing concern, particularly because eighty percent of those HIV-infected are under the age of 30, and the epidemic is closely associated with high rates of intravenous drug use. Further, many experts believe that Russia has one of the fastest growing HIV/AIDS epidemics in the world, with new cases doubling every year. Harm-reduction programs have not yet been able to control the epidemic.
New migration policies must be implemented together with a wide range of public health actions. It is equally important to develop new policies aimed at increasing fertility levels, taking into account that financial incentives, by themselves, are not effective.
Russian leaders have to confront a wide range of problems that affect Russians' health status and quality of life, and that require a multifaceted but coordinated approach to be solved. How the Russian authorities respond to these challenges will determine the kind of country that Russia will become.
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For the last two decades, demographics and its effect on Russian society and future development prospects have been at the center of the discussions on that country. There is now universal agreement that unless Russia solves this most serious problem, its status as a world power will be seriously compromised. A new government offers the possibility of properly addressing this issue.
Demographics has been called the king-maker of countries, and some say of civilizations, but it can also be their downfall. Russia's experiencing over the last decades is similar to that of several rich countries; a rapidly aging of population couple with falling birthrates. However, while the rich industrialized countries have rising life spans, those in Russia are seriously compromised by the relatively low health status of its population.
It is estimated that between 1993 and 2010 Russia's population decreased from 148.6 million to 141.9 million people. If existing trends continue, Russia's population will be between 100-107 million by 2050, a looming disaster for such a large country, a country with 40 percent of the world's natural resources.
When he first came to power in 2000, Putin tried to counteract the country's depopulation by giving housing priorities and a special allowance of 7,000 rubles ($250) per child monthly to families with more than three children. In addition, Putin tried carrying out policies to stimulate immigration, particularly of Russian-language speakers from former Soviet republics. Those policies didn't produce the expected results.
For the last 40 years, fertility rates in Russia have been unable to provide for the replacement of its population. Although fertility rates have increased from about 1.2 children-per-woman in 2002 to approximately 1.6 in 2011, those numbers are still short of the 2.15 level which experts estimate is needed to sustain the population.
A 2008 UN report, "Demographic Policy in Russia: From Reflection to Action," stressed that among the main causes of low fertility are financial difficulties associated with the perception that conditions in the country are not the most favorable for raising children. That situation is worsened by poor reproductive health support services, widespread abortions and infertility.
The number of ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking people migrating from outside the Russian Federation have not compensated so far for the decreasing population trends. These migrants, in addition, tend to have low-paying jobs and as such, do not have a significant input in the economic growth of the country.
The Russian government's plans to encourage immigration are at odds with Russians' opposition to this policy. Xenophobia is on the rise and Russians tend to strongly favor a Russia for ethnic Russians only. Should economic conditions deteriorate, resentment against immigrants will also grow and this will in turn contribute to keeping population levels low.
Equally important as Russia's demographic crisis and coupled to it is the crisis in its public health system and the health status of its population. In 2010, Putin acknowledged that Russia needed to start a large-scale health care reform in 2011. He promised to allocate $10 billion over the next two years to modernize medical institutions in the country. However, Russia needs to address other serious issues that have a negative effect on people's health, such as the high rates of smoking, alcohol consumption, and HIV/AIDS. These health problems have a direct effect on the country's high level of premature mortality. In Russia, the probability that a 15-year-old boy will die before he reaches 60 is more than 40 percent.
Russia and China are world leaders in smoking, but while in Russia women are heavy smokers by world standards only 2% of Chinese women smoke. It is estimated that between 350,000 and 400,000 people die each year in Russia due to smoking-related diseases.
Alcohol consumption continues to be extremely high, despite some government efforts to curb it. Each year, 500,000 Russians die due to alcohol-related illnesses, accidents and crimes. In addition, it is estimated that more than 10 million children aged 10 to 14 drink alcohol.
According to the World Health Organization heart disease, aggravated by alcoholism and tobacco, accounts for more than 1.2 million deaths every year. HIV/AIDS is a growing concern, particularly because eighty percent of those HIV-infected are under the age of 30, and the epidemic is closely associated with high rates of intravenous drug use. Further, many experts believe that Russia has one of the fastest growing HIV/AIDS epidemics in the world, with new cases doubling every year. Harm-reduction programs have not yet been able to control the epidemic.
New migration policies must be implemented together with a wide range of public health actions. It is equally important to develop new policies aimed at increasing fertility levels, taking into account that financial incentives, by themselves, are not effective.
Russian leaders have to confront a wide range of problems that affect Russians' health status and quality of life, and that require a multifaceted but coordinated approach to be solved. How the Russian authorities respond to these challenges will determine the kind of country that Russia will become.
For the last two decades, demographics and its effect on Russian society and future development prospects have been at the center of the discussions on that country. There is now universal agreement that unless Russia solves this most serious problem, its status as a world power will be seriously compromised. A new government offers the possibility of properly addressing this issue.
Demographics has been called the king-maker of countries, and some say of civilizations, but it can also be their downfall. Russia's experiencing over the last decades is similar to that of several rich countries; a rapidly aging of population couple with falling birthrates. However, while the rich industrialized countries have rising life spans, those in Russia are seriously compromised by the relatively low health status of its population.
It is estimated that between 1993 and 2010 Russia's population decreased from 148.6 million to 141.9 million people. If existing trends continue, Russia's population will be between 100-107 million by 2050, a looming disaster for such a large country, a country with 40 percent of the world's natural resources.
When he first came to power in 2000, Putin tried to counteract the country's depopulation by giving housing priorities and a special allowance of 7,000 rubles ($250) per child monthly to families with more than three children. In addition, Putin tried carrying out policies to stimulate immigration, particularly of Russian-language speakers from former Soviet republics. Those policies didn't produce the expected results.
For the last 40 years, fertility rates in Russia have been unable to provide for the replacement of its population. Although fertility rates have increased from about 1.2 children-per-woman in 2002 to approximately 1.6 in 2011, those numbers are still short of the 2.15 level which experts estimate is needed to sustain the population.
A 2008 UN report, "Demographic Policy in Russia: From Reflection to Action," stressed that among the main causes of low fertility are financial difficulties associated with the perception that conditions in the country are not the most favorable for raising children. That situation is worsened by poor reproductive health support services, widespread abortions and infertility.
The number of ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking people migrating from outside the Russian Federation have not compensated so far for the decreasing population trends. These migrants, in addition, tend to have low-paying jobs and as such, do not have a significant input in the economic growth of the country.
The Russian government's plans to encourage immigration are at odds with Russians' opposition to this policy. Xenophobia is on the rise and Russians tend to strongly favor a Russia for ethnic Russians only. Should economic conditions deteriorate, resentment against immigrants will also grow and this will in turn contribute to keeping population levels low.
Equally important as Russia's demographic crisis and coupled to it is the crisis in its public health system and the health status of its population. In 2010, Putin acknowledged that Russia needed to start a large-scale health care reform in 2011. He promised to allocate $10 billion over the next two years to modernize medical institutions in the country. However, Russia needs to address other serious issues that have a negative effect on people's health, such as the high rates of smoking, alcohol consumption, and HIV/AIDS. These health problems have a direct effect on the country's high level of premature mortality. In Russia, the probability that a 15-year-old boy will die before he reaches 60 is more than 40 percent.
Russia and China are world leaders in smoking, but while in Russia women are heavy smokers by world standards only 2% of Chinese women smoke. It is estimated that between 350,000 and 400,000 people die each year in Russia due to smoking-related diseases.
Alcohol consumption continues to be extremely high, despite some government efforts to curb it. Each year, 500,000 Russians die due to alcohol-related illnesses, accidents and crimes. In addition, it is estimated that more than 10 million children aged 10 to 14 drink alcohol.
According to the World Health Organization heart disease, aggravated by alcoholism and tobacco, accounts for more than 1.2 million deaths every year. HIV/AIDS is a growing concern, particularly because eighty percent of those HIV-infected are under the age of 30, and the epidemic is closely associated with high rates of intravenous drug use. Further, many experts believe that Russia has one of the fastest growing HIV/AIDS epidemics in the world, with new cases doubling every year. Harm-reduction programs have not yet been able to control the epidemic.
New migration policies must be implemented together with a wide range of public health actions. It is equally important to develop new policies aimed at increasing fertility levels, taking into account that financial incentives, by themselves, are not effective.
Russian leaders have to confront a wide range of problems that affect Russians' health status and quality of life, and that require a multifaceted but coordinated approach to be solved. How the Russian authorities respond to these challenges will determine the kind of country that Russia will become.