Low population growth : Russia

Question 1

Define population decline

Answer 1

Population of the country decreases, mainly because of the birth rate being lower than the birth rate, and a low immigration rate

Question 2

Causes of population decline :

1) Low birth rate - expensive cost of living

Answer 2

• If people don’t have enough to live on, they don’t have children because they don’t have the finances to take care of their child.
• Mothers can’t quit work because then the whole family solely relies on the father as the breadwinner. The family’s income is dramatically cut off after women have children.
• Cost of childcare is expensive
• More than 14% of Russians live under the poverty line and 20 million don’t have enough to live on
• Russia has one of the most unequal economies, with 10% owning 90% of the country’s wealth

Question 3

Causes of population decline :

2) Low birth rate - emancipation of women

Answer 3

• Women have a high literacy rate, and most get a primary and secondary education. ( 99.65% )
• Delays marriage
• Marry at average 26.2 years old
• The year 2013 was the first year in 50 years in which the majority of grooms and brides were in the older group (at the age of 25-34)
• High rates of divorce because they are cheap and easy to do
• Low rates of marriage
• Women focus on their careers and delay having children
• Less children in their lifetime, low fertility rate
• Women can’t quit their careers to care for their children because of financial problems.

Question 4

Causes of population decline :

3) Low birth rate - High rates of abortion, easily accessible contraception

Answer 4

• Abortion is legal in Russian law
• Reduces teenage pregnancy
• Growing urbanisation rates increase wants for smaller families
• In 2010, the abortion rate was 37.4 abortions per 1000 women aged 15–44 years, the highest of any country reported in UN data.
• Some abortions leave the woman sterile

Question 5

Causes of population decline :

4) High death rate - High rates of alcoholism

Answer 5

• Hardest drinking nation on earth. Excessive alcohol consumption is the main reason the life expectancy for men has dropped to 58 years.
• Government encouraged alcohol because it’s good for the economy. Government relies on vodka and beer for revenue
• Vodka is a big part of Russian culture and Russian economy. Beer consumption increased 30% every year. Fastest growing beer market in the world. Seductive advertising campaigns for young people
• False misconceptions about beer. Under Russian law, beer is not an alcoholic drink. Beer was widely marketed through ad campaigns, state sponsored drinking games, and annual beer festivals. People assume beer is a light drink, relatively harmless
• Every Russian drinks on average, 18L of pure alcohol a year.
• Drunk driving kills about 8000 people a year
• Leads to violent crimes and suicide
• The average monthly salary is only about $150, and beer is cheaper than water

Question 6

Causes of population decline :

5) High death rate - Excessive smoking

Answer 6

• 14% of all deaths ( 300,000 people ) are associated with excessive smoking
• Male smoking prevalence (60%) is the highest in the European region, and female smoking prevalence increased from 10% to 21% during the last 15 years
• Smoking causes lung infections, specifically lung cancer
• Affects other people who don’t smoke, through smoke exposure

Question 7

Causes of population decline :

6) High death rate - High rates of disease

Answer 7

• High rates of HIV/AIDS ( 1.3 million )
• High rates of tuberculosis
• High rates of suicide ( mainly due to alcohol abuse )

Question 8

Solutions to population decline :

1) Patriarchy

Answer 8

• Advertise having more children as the height of patriarchal duty, and a Russian obligation
• Order of parental glory ( a medal + cash prize ), given to nuclear families with more than 10 children

Question 9

Solutions to population decline :

2) Pro-natalist policies

Answer 9

• Families with three or more children receive government handouts and benefits, including electricity, heating, home payments, financial benefits, free parking, school meals, going on holiday ( 2 weeks vacation )
• Families with three or more children has increased by a third in the last decade
• 140 families with more than 10 children in Moscow
• Cash incentives given to mothers to have more children

Question 10

Solutions to population decline :

3) Encouraging healthier lifestyles

Answer 10

• New price regulations and higher taxes on beer
• Advertisement and campaigns done by celebrities to try to change public’s opinion on alcohol
• Government banned smoking, and buying of cigarettes