Russia declassifies life expectancy statistics

Complete statistics on life expectancy in the Russian Federation will no longer be made public. The official website of Rosstat now publishes only general indicators, and does not provide separate data by region, as well as by men and women.

Experts attribute this decision to Russia's military losses in Ukraine. The sharp increase in deaths among young men recruited to the war front may have been the reason for this decision.

Rosstat statistics and the decline in life expectancy

According to official data, in 2023 the average life expectancy of Russians decreased by 7 months to 72.84 years. This is the first decrease since the pandemic and, if the coronavirus is not taken into account, the largest decrease since the 2000s.

In 2024, official deaths increased by 3.3% compared to 2023 and amounted to 1.816 million people. At the same time, the birth rate fell to the lowest level in the last 25 years, with only 1.222 million children born. The natural decrease in the Russian population reached 495 thousand people, which is 20% more than last year.

Losses in Ukraine and the demographic crisis

Experts note that the decline in life expectancy is largely due to Russia's losses in Ukraine. Demographer Alexei Raksha says that the deaths of soldiers killed at the front are entered into the Rosstat database with a delay of about 1.5 years.

According to British intelligence estimates, by the end of March 2025, the total losses of the Russian army in Ukraine had reached 900 thousand people, of which 200-250 thousand were killed.

According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), by February 2025, Russia had lost 172 thousand soldiers, 611 thousand were injured, of which about 400 thousand were disabled.

What is behind the data secrecy?

The Russian government's decision not to publish full statistics on life expectancy is likely due to the following reasons:

• To conceal the fact that young men are dying at the front;
  
• To avoid raising public awareness of military casualties;
  
• To avoid disclosing the exact figures of the demographic crisis in Russia.
  

This policy of the Russian government further casts doubt on the reliability of state statistics. It also makes it difficult to obtain real data on the demographic crisis and military casualties. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”