MOSCOW, September 1. /TASS/. Mortality rate from all main causes of death continues to decline in Russia, Russia’s health minister, Veronika Skvortsova, said citing data by the Russian Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat).

"According to Rosstat’s official statistics, the number of people who died in our country in the first seven months of 2017 declined by 23,700 people, year-on-year. Mortality rate dropped by 2.3% and stood at 12.7 people per 1,000 people (in the first seven months of 2016 the figure was 13 per 1,000)," the health ministry quoted Skvortsova as saying.

Deaths from cardiovascular diseases dropped by 3.3%, from oncology - by 2.8%, from tuberculosis - by 15.2%, from respiratory illnesses - by 9% (including by 21% from pneumonia), from trauma - by 10.7% (including from road accidents - by 8.5%).

Russia also has positive tendencies regarding the infant mortality rate, the minister said.

"The current year sees a historical minimum of infant mortality, which dropped by 11.7% in the first seven months and stands at 5.3 infants per 1,000 infants who were born alive," Skvortsova said.

Mortality among people of active working age also dropped by 8.5% in the reported period.