Russia's natural population decrease in 2021 surpasses 1 mln for first time

MOSCOW. Jan 28 (Interfax) - The natural population decrease (deaths outnumbering births) in Russia in stood at 1,042,700 versus 688,700 in 2020 and 317,200 in 2019, according to data released by the Federal Statistics Service (Rosstat) on Friday.

This is the highest such figure in Russia's recent history (the previous high was recorded in 2000, at 958,500).

As a result, by January 1, 2022, Russia's population dropped to 145,478,097 from 146,171,015 on January 1, 2021, by 692,918 (this is lower than the natural population decrease due to a partial offset by increased migration). The drop is the biggest since 2003 when the population number fell from 145 million on January 1, 2003, to 144.3 million on January 1, 2004.

The population number is calculated on the basis of the latest available figures, which do not include the last national census, the results of which will not appear before April, Rosstat said.

Births in 2021 dropped to 1,402,800 from 1,435,700 in 2020, the lowest since 2002 (when 1,397,000 were born). Births peaked at 1,943,000 in 2014 and have since declined steadily.

Deaths increased from 2,124,500 in 2020 to 2,445,500 in 2021.

In Moscow, the constant-population number as of January 1, 2022, stood at 12,632,40. In the Moscow region the figure was 7,765,900; in St. Petersburg, 5, 376,700; and in the Leningrad region, 1,907,600.