Demographic evolution and the importance of migration flows in Russia: a historical overview

The fragility of the current demographic situation in the Russian Federation, which leads to think of a worrying future far from the demographic tensions that, for different reasons, are expected in other emerging countries has been caused because of military, political, economic and social events that have occurred in Russia since the end of the XIX century to our days. Particularly, between 1992 and 2008, the Russian population went down in six million people, a significant amount arising among other factors, from the deficiencies in the public health system and in the network of social services. However, the increasing migration above all of the former Soviet republics, has recently allowed recovering the positive trend of population growth. In any case, if a normalization of Russian demographic patterns not occurs, especially with regard to natural population movements, there could be serious economic consequences and a relevant strategic weakening of the country.