Demographic problems of geostrategic territories of the Russian Far East

Abstract

The article presents an analysis of the demographic problems of the priority geostrategic territories of the Russian Far East. Such territories are characterized in the «Strategy for Spatial Development of the Russian Federation to 2025» as having a particular significance for development of the country as a whole, but differing in special conditions of the population life and functioning of the economy due to their geographical location. The main problem of the Far East geostrategic territories of the country is depopulation, which is both a factor that slows down the socio-economic development and an indicator that characterizes the low performance of this development. Components of the population dynamics that lead to its decline — natural growth and migration flows — are of particular importance. The article identifies multidirectional nature of the main demographic processes — natural growth is mainly combined with migration outflow of the population. The regions of the Far East that managed to increase their population in 2010-2018 with this combination are the Republics of Sakha (Yakutia) and Buryatia. Specific features of the Far East priority geostrategic territories in comparison with Russia as a whole are shown. The analysis is based on the «Municipal Russia» database, which summarizes the demographic statistics for all urban districts and municipal districts of the country, including those located on the priority geostrategic territories. As a result of the analysis of population dynamics, we have identified directions that can lead to an improvement in the demographic situation in the priority geostrategic territories of the Far East, and, accordingly, will contribute to the socio-economic development of not only these territories, but also the entire Russian Federation.

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“…Since the 1990s, immigration to the Far Eastern parts of RF has occurred from the Central Asia, China, North Korea and Vietnam, largely compensating for departures of Russians (Avdashin et al, 2021;Motrich 2016;Stroeva 2020). The population growth in the Far East has been maximal in Buryatia and Yakutia thanks to higher birth rates of the indigenous ethnic groups (Simagin & Murtuzalieva, 2020). The maximal contribution to the population declines in the period 1992-2019 was made by Saint Petersburg (652 thousand people lost) with surrounding oblast (414), Pskov (237), Vologda and Novgorod provinces (185 thousand each) (Rybakovsky & Fadeeva, 2020).…”