Why Russia is in Demographic Collapse - Arts & Humanities Assignment Help

Assignment Task

Since the collapse of the U.S.S.R that once occupied Russia, the natural growths and birth rates have steadily been declining while the death rates steadily increase. This trend has led to a demographic collapse of the Russian population. Russia’s population is forecasted to continue to decline over the course of the next few years if these issues are not resolved. The state of the population can be linked to the lack of healthcare for fertile women, the decline in migration, and the increase of deaths due to HIV/AIDS infections.

Declining Birthrates & Abortions
The low birth rates in Russia are a big contributor to the declining demographic that has been an ongoing issue since the 1900s. Russia's total fertility rate is 1.6 births per woman; the number represents the number of children each Russian woman has during her lifetime. In comparison to the United States fertility rate which is 1.8, this highlights the underline issues contributing to Russian’s collapsing demographic (arcgis.com). In addition, the high rates of alcoholism and deteriorating economic state of Russia often lead to women not feeling motivated to have a birth in Russia and eventually immigrating. Another big issue that remains is the common practice of abortions in Russia. During the Soviet era, abortions were commonplace and were the standard birth control method for women and that remains the case even today during a
time when other contraceptives exist as an option. “According to a 2017 article in Foreign Policy, Russia has a ratio of around 480 abortions per 1,000 live births” (arcgis.com), only half of what it was in the 1950 but still incredibly huge compared to other European countries.

HIV/AIDS and alcoholism contribution to high death rates
The world average death rate is 9 per 1000 people per year and though Russia’s death rate has decreased from 15 per 1000 people in 2010 to 13.4 deaths per 1000 people per year, it still remains extremely high and is also a major factor contributing to its declining population. The average life expectancy for Russian men is 66 years while women’s life expectancy is 77 years.

Alcohol-related deaths and emergencies are a major cause of high death tolls in Russia, “Alcohol consumption in Russia remains among the highest in the world. According to a 2011 report by the World Health Organization, annual per capita consumption of alcohol in Russia was about 15.76 liters, the fourth-highest volume in Europe.” Another contributor to high death tolls in Russia is negligent towards HIV/AIDS infections. Russia recorded its first official case of HIV/AIDS in 1986, Vladimir Putin called it a “western disease” and overlooked its seriousness.

Ever since the HIV/AIDS infection has claimed the lives of 37,000 people across Russia (politico.eu). One of the reasons for the rapid spread of AIDS is needle sharing amongst drug addicts while the other is unprotected heterosexual sex. The ignorance surrounding HIV/AIDS also plays a role as studies show that imitated partners would spread the disease to each other after not knowing they were living with AIDS for decades. Talking about alcoholism and HIV/AIDS infections is incredibly taboo in Russian media and society but is an epidemic that must be acknowledged to try and solve the failing demographic. Lower Migration rates, don’t anybody wants to work and settle in Russia because of the social climate.

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