Doug Henwood wrote:
> [The demographic implosion continues...]
>
> Russian Population down in 1998
>
> Natural population decline remained the chief reason for the dropping
> numbers, the committee said, adding that only 44.2 percent of the margin of
> the death toll over birth rate was offset by the inflow of immigrants in
> 1998.Russia saw 439,400 new migrants this year, whereas 174,500 left the
> country. The figures for last year were 490,200 and 196,600, respectively.
> The rise in the mortality rate has been attributed largely to the effects
> of rampant alcoholism and declining standards of health care during
> Russia's painful transition to a market economy.
> Last year, an official Russian report said the declining population posed a
> threat to national security.
Doug:
Are there data to show that alcoholism in Russia increase since the shift from communism? The attribution to declining health care standards is intriguing. China also suffer a general decline in public health, but Chinese population did not decline, not to mention a near total environmental collapse in term of polluted air and water. Has anyone looked at the cultural impacts of the shift from a socialist to market eonomy? Any data on life expectancy befroe and after the shift? What rationale did the Russian report give for interpreting a declining population as a national security threat? Happy New Year,
Henry