MOSCOW, August 7 (Itar-Tass) - The natural growth of Russia’s population reached almost 7,000 in June, the press service of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection said on Wednesday, adding that this year’s first growth at this rate was registered that month.
In January to June the natural loss of Russia’s population totaled 52,900, down by 7.2% year-on-year. Russia’s 34 regions reported natural growth. “It was registered in the North Caucasus, Urals and Siberian federal districts as well as in the Far Eastern federal district, where the natural loss of the population was replaced with natural growth,” Labor Minister Maxim Topilin said.
In the first six months of 2013 Russia registered 903,200 births, 2,600 babies less than the same period last year, the minister said, adding that 30 Russian regions had reported an increasing birth rate. “In some regions the birth rate went up by over three percent,” Topilin said. “These are the republics of Tatarstan, Karachay Cherkessia, North Ossetia-Alania, the Khabarovsk Territory, the Kaliningrad, Samara and Sakhalin regions, St. Petersburg and the Nenets Autonomous District,” he added. Number of newborns increased by 2-3% in Republic of Komi, Stavropol Territory and Ulyanovsk region. The ministry said 149,800 babies were born in June, 3,600 newborns less than the same period last year.
Topilin noted that 142,800 people died in June, 10,500 fewer deaths year-on-year. “This has been the lowest monthly death rate since 2004,” he said, reporting a declining death rate in 57 regions. In January to June 956,000 died in Russia, down by 6,600 as against the same period last year.
“Yakutia, Karachay Cherkessia, the Amur and Magadan regions, the Jewish Autonomous Region and the Chukotka Autonomous District reported a six percent decline in deaths,” Topilin said, adding that 13 regions including Buryatia, Adygea, the Baikal Territory, the Primorsky Territory, the Kemerovo and Ryazan regions, registered a decline in deaths of between 3-6%.