Russia's working-age population to decline by 8%-9% by 2020 - deputy minister
BELOKURIKHA, Altai territory. Feb 28 (Interfax) - The Russian Economic Development Ministry expects the working-age population in Russia to decline by 8%-9% to 79-80 million people by 2020 compared to the current level of 87 million, Deputy Economic Development Minister Andrei Klepach said at the Winter Grain Conference in Belokurikha on Thursday.
"We have so far been developing in the conditions of stable labor resources and employment. Now we are entering a phase of the working-age population's reduction. In fact, we may lose about 8 million of people of working age due to their ageing," he said.
The number of immigrants coming to Russia annually will remain at the level of 200,000-300,000, Klepach said. "Even given this favorable trend, the working-age population will be declining. In fact, world economic history does not identify countries with high growth rates in their working-age population declining in the long run. Growth is not a goal in itself, but this eventually concerns demand for food and return of investment made in the agricultural and other economic sectors," he said.
The population's incomes will be growing by about 4% a year in the long term, he said.