GORKI, January 10 (Itar-Tass) — For the first time over past 23 years, Moscow reports a natural growth of the population, Moscow City Mayor Sergei Sobyanin told President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday.
In 2011, “For the first time over past 23 years, Moscow reports a natural growth of the population. In other words, the city’s birth rate exceeded its mortality rate,” the mayor said.
In his words, the upward trend was achieved not only owing to the hike of births, but also owing to the decline of deaths. “In 2011, the number of deaths in Moscow dropped by 12,000,” he said.
According to Sobyanin, Moscow yielded success in all spheres in that year. As an example, he reminded the investment growth, which made up about eight percent after the recession of the past years of crisis.
In addition, the mayor pointed to the increased construction. “So, in 2011 seven million square metres of space was commissioned, including two million square metres of new flats, which is 20 percent more than in 2010,” the city mayor reported to the president.
In his words, the incomplete construction in the budget sphere decreased by a third, which made it possible to achieve considerable progress in the construction of roads, highways and bridges. “In the year under review, the total number of new pedestrian over- and underpasses grew by 49,” Sobyanin said.
Besides, 4.5 kilometres of metro rails were commissioned in 2011, the city mayor said, adding that eight kilometres of metro rails are planned to be built in the current year.