In what will almost definitely be viewed as an embarrassment for the regime, Russia's population declined by over 3 million during the past decade despite the economic boom fueled by energy prices. While population is not necessarily decisive, it is still a major factor in terms of economic growth, workforce and military manpower levels. Given Russia's vast size, a declining population also means that there is nobody to physically settle and occupy Russia's vast expanses.
Russia faces an increasingly powerful China in the Far East, but according to the census, Russia's already sparse population in the Far East declined by 6%.
As president, Vladimir Putin devoted increased attention to the issue of demography. He designated 2008, "the Year of the Family" in Russia. In 2005 he delivered an address saying, "it is my firm conviction that success in many areas of our life depends on resolving the acute demographic problems we face." In 2006 demography was further upgraded from 'one of the most acute' problems to the 'most acute'.
The result of the census shows that Russia has not solved this 'most acute' problem. Back in 2007 in an article entitled "Save the Russians", Nicholas Eberstadt, writing in Foreign Policy, singled out Russia's unnecessary and preventable high mortality from heart disease and severe trauma that were directly related to alcoholism.
Eberstadt then cited a Johns Hopkins study that for relatively small investments in aspirin and beta blockers, Russia could reduce mortality for around $25 per life saved. Urban emergency medical units with ambulances could save one life for $1500. This has not been done, and since the year 2000, 3.9 million Russians are estimated to have died prematurely.
Given the major contribution of alcoholism to premature deaths and the greater incidence of the problem among men rather than women - 3 million males died prematurely as compared with 1 million females, the gender disparity in the Russian population has grown, with 10 million more females than males.
Another cause of population decline is emigration. Russia loses approximately one hundred thousand people per annum to emigration. This emigration also represents a brain drain, as the vast majority of people emigrating are young and well-trained, but feel that they have reached a brick wall in their employment advancement opportunities and their ability to grow professionally. They also feel that mediocre contenders for jobs, who have the right political connections, have the best chance of advancing.
The Russian leadership realizes that it has a problem, but aside from announcing splashy projects such as the establishment of a Russian Silicon Valley, they have not really addressed the problem.