Demographic Trends in Rural Areas of the Russian Federation

The state policy of rural development of the Russian Federation is aimed at maintaining the rural population. The rural population is characterized by negative natural growth, which is partially offset by population growth as a result of administrative and territorial transformations and migration. Since 2019, there has been an acceleration in the decline in the rural population as a result of migration and natural processes. The long outflow and high mortality of the rural population led to the deformation of its age structure. The purpose of this work is to identify the prevailing demographic trends in rural areas, including taking into account the spatial heterogeneity of the age structure of the population and demographic processes. The methodological basis of the study was based on methods of demographic analysis and forecasting, cartographic method, statistical grouping, scenario approach. The information basis of the study was the information published by Rosstat as part of the official statistical accounting of the number and movement of the population by gender, age and subjects of the Russian Federation. The subjects of the Russian Federation differ in age structure and type of reproduction of the rural population. The subjects of the Russian Federation are heterogeneous in terms of the level and structure of mortality of the rural population for various reasons. The high mortality rate of the rural population is due to demographic aging, the socio-economic well-being of the territory, and the availability of medical care. There is a migration outflow of the female population of reproductive age. The combination of demographic processes has led to a significant deformation of the age structure of the rural population of the subjects of the Russian Federation. To quantify the degree of deformation of the age structure, the deviation of the median age from the average age is calculated.