What became known about the pandemic from Rosstat's annual demographic data

The total mortality in Russia in 2020 increased by almost 19%, or by 340.3 thousand people, follows from the final data of Rosstat on demographics for 2020 (.xlsx), published on June 11. This is the highest increase since the mid-1990s. From the March preliminary data, it followed that the death rate for the year increased by 323.8 thousand people.

In the annual increase in mortality, 42.5% were deaths, the main cause of which was CORONAVIRUS infection. The rest of the excess mortality in 2020 (compared to the previous year) was provided by diseases of the circulatory system, pneumonia, endocrine diseases and others. The excess mortality is due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, “which has been one of the biggest challenges to the HEALTH care system in the last century,” noted the Ministry of Health (.pdf).

In 2020, almost 3.2 million cases of coronavirus infection were officially detected in Russia, according to the operational headquarters for combating covid-19 . Nearly 2.6 million people have recovered, but as Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said on June 11, fatal outcomes have also occurred after recovery from COVID-19, since coronavirus can lead to complications in chronic diseases.

Impact of the pandemic on fertility

The birth rate over the past year decreased by 3% (minus 44.6 thousand people) after a decline of 7.7% in 2019. The negative birth rate dynamics in recent years is an echo of the demographic failure of the 1990s, which now leads to a decrease in the number of potential mothers, the Ministry of Labor explained in April. The Russian authorities are pursuing a policy of stimulating the birth rate (maternity capital, monthly payments for the first and second child, etc.).