Russia’s Peacetime Demographic Crisis: Dimensions, Causes, Implications
Nicholas N. Eberstadt
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Modern Russia is in the throes of a prolonged depopulation which, according to the report’s author Nicholas Eberstadt, qualifies as “nothing short of a humanitarian catastrophe.” This population crisis is marked by disastrous mortality levels and an eroding human resource base and will present serious challenges for Russia’s future domestic and international policy priorities. This report represents the culmination of a three-year research project on Russia’s political economy, as examined through the unique prism of that country’s demographic profile.
The report starts with an examination of the “arithmetic of Russian depopulation” by examining how the country’s trends in births, deaths, and migration reveal the drivers behind the massive and unprecedented depopulation. The report then looks beyond the numbers, examining less-explored aspects of Russia’s population profile such as population aging, education and labor productivity, and social capital, which are key to a society’s prosperity. This report sheds new light on the challenges presented by Russia’s depopulation, with critical implications for U.S. policy and international politics.
Report Launch Event
On August 12, 2010, the Hudson Institute and the National Bureau of Asian Research held a panel discussion to mark the launch of Dr. Nicholas Eberstadt’s report, Russia's Peacetime Demographic Crisis: Dimensions, Causes, Implications (May 2010). This event featured a keynote presentation from Dr. Eberstadt, followed by discussion with S. Enders Wimbush (Hudson Institute) and Fiona Hill (Brookings Institution). NBR Senior Associate Roy Kamphausen served as moderator for the discussion.
Learn more and watch video from the event.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Russia’s Demographic Crisis: Not a “Normal Country” Problem
Part I
Introduction: Fewer but Not Better: The Demographics of Russia’s Depopulation
Chapter 1: Depopulation, with Modern Russian Characteristics
Chapter 2: Russia’s New Patterns of Fertility and Family Formation since the End of Communism: Shock or Transition
Chapter 3: Russia’s Ominous Patterns of Mortality and Morbidity: Pioneering New and Modern Pathways to Poor Health and Premature Death
Chapter 4: The Terrible Mystery of Extreme Mortality in Modern Russia: Searching for Explanations and Answers to a Deadly Puzzle
Chapter 5: Migration: Russia’s Unfamiliar New Dilemmas of Personal Choice
Part II
Introduction: Russia’s Human Resources in Disarray: The Demographic Crisis beyond the Population Count
Chapter 6: Population Aging: Toward a Russia That Is Gray, Sick, and Poor
Chapter 7: Education and Labor Productivity in Russia: High Levels of Schooling, Low Levels of Human Capital
Chapter 8: “Social Capital” in Russia: An Attitude Problem, on a National Scale
Conclusion
A Demographic Reckoning for Russia
References