Russia’s Population Could Halve by the End of This Century
Russia’s demographic crisis is so dire that the country’s population could halve by the end of the century, according to a report from the Atlantic Council earlier this month. Russia was in a demographic crisis even before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Over 300,000 Russian troops died or were injured in the Ukraine war by the end of 2023, US intelligence officials estimated. An estimated 1 million people fled Russia after the war broke out, deepening a brain drain and labor crunch in the country.
Overall, Russia’s population growth has declined over the past decade, as shown by World Bank data. Russian President Vladimir Putin is paying special attention to demographic issues. In November, he extolled the virtues of large families, calling on women to have eight children — or more. Earlier this year, Putin called on Russians to have more babies for ethnic survival.
Note: The section regarding the Atlantic Council report and the specific numbers related to troop casualties, population fleeing, and President Putin’s statements are presented as reported by the source. The information provided reflects the situation as of the knowledge cutoff date in early 2023 and may have evolved since then.
