Demographic sustainability in the regions of the steppe zone of Russia
Research Article
Acknowledgments
The article was prepared within the frames of the study «Problems of steppe land use in the context of modern challenges: optimization of the interaction of natural and socio-economic systems» № АААА-А21–121011190016–1.
How to Cite
Rudneva O.S., Sokolov A.A. Demographic sustainability in the regions of the steppe zone of Russia. Population. 2025. Vol. 28. No. 1. P. 17-26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24412/1561-7785-2025-1-17-26 (in Russ.).
Abstract
The relevance of this study is due to the active dynamics of demographic processes and the changing views on sustainable development of territories. While population growth is not the sole priority, maintaining a high level of human potential and reducing the impact of negative factors are essential for improving the quality of society. The purpose of the study was to assess the dynamics of demographic sustainability in the regions of the steppe zone of Russia in the period of 2003–2022. The object of the study was 17 regions of Russia located entirely or partially in the steppe zone and identified on the basis of common natural and economic factors and location specifics. To assess the demographic sustainability of the regions of the steppe zone, an integral index was formed based on the indicators of demographic processes grouped by the main aspects of population movement. As a result, a change in the distribution of regions by the level of demographic sustainability over five-year periods was revealed. In general, there has been a positive trend in the steppe region. From 2003 to 2007, 9 regions of the steppe had a low level of demographic stability. By 2017, none of these regions remained in this category, moving instead into the category with an average level of demographic stability, with Chelyabinsk and Novosibirsk oblasts moving into the category of high demographic stability. But then the situation in the steppe zone worsened — by 2022, the level of demographic stability in 4 regions reached the lowest values and only 5 regions did not change the level of demographic stability. The influence of external factors (pandemic, geopolitical processes), which intensified by the end of the period under review, is obvious, that contributed to an increase in the death rate and migration outflow of the population.
Keywords:
demographic sustainability, population, steppe zone of Russia, natural movement of population, migration
References
1. Shriver L. Population in literature. Population and Development Review. 2003. Vol. 29. Iss. 2. P. 153–162. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1728–4457.2003.00153.x
2. Calasanti T. Brown Slime, the Silver Tsunami, and apocalyptic demography: The importance of ageism and age relations. Social Currents. 2020. Vol. 7. Iss. 3. P. 195–211. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/2329496520912736
3. Gietel-Basten S. Depopulation or population decline? Demographic nightmares and imaginaries. Vienna Yearbook of Population Research. Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. 2023. Vol. 21(1). P. 1–12. DOI:10.1553/p-ak37-74ha
4. Roca Z., Roca M. Demographic sustainability and spatial development in Portugal. Acta Geographica Bosniae et Herzegovinae. 2014. Vol. 2. P. 21–28.
5. Roca M., Silva V., Caldinhas S. Demographic Sustainability and Regional Development: The Case of Alto Minho and Alto Alentejo. Lisboa. Universidad Nova de Lisboa. 2002. 18 p.
6. Camarinha-Matos L.M., Afsarmanesh H. Active aging roadmap — A collaborative networks contribution to demographic sustainability. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology. 2010. Vol. 336. P. 46–59. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-15961-9_5
7. Stern E. Demographic sustainability and rural development policy. Journal of Maps. 2013. Vol. 9. Iss. 2. P. 154–160. DOI: 10.1080/17445647.2013.773566
8. Fauser V. V., Lytkina T. S., Smirnov A. V. Ustojchivoje razvitije severnykh regionov: demograficheskoje izmerenije [Sustainable development of the northern regions: population dimension] Ekonomika regiona [Economy of Regions]. 2018. Vol. 14. No. 4. P. 1370–1382. (in Russ.)
9. Roy O. M. Demograficheskaja ustojchivost’ territorii: metodologija otsenki [Demographic sustainability of the territory: methodology of evaluation]. Demograficheskaja i semejnaja politika v kontekste tselej ustojchivogo razvitija: sbornik statej 9 Ural’skogo demograficheskogo foruma [Demographic and Family Policy in the Context of Sustainable Development Goals. Proceedings of the IX Ural Demographic Forum]. Vol. I. 2018. Ekaterinburg. P. 38–51. (in Russ.)
10. Kiseleva N. N. Ustojchivoje razvitije sotsial’no-ekonomicheskoj sistemy regiona: metodologija, issledovanija, modeli, upravlenije [Sustainable Development of the Socio-Economic System of the Region: Methodology, Research, Models, Management]. Rostov-on-Don. JuFU [South Federal University]. 2008. 288 p. (in Russ.)
11. Lazareva V. V., Zinchenko M. V., Vlasova N. Yu. Demograficheskij aspect ustojchivogo razvitija prigranichnykh regionov [Demographic aspect of the Far East border regions sustainable development]. Uroven’ zhizni naselenija regionov Rossii [Living Standard of the Population in the Regions of Russia]. 2017. No. 2(204). P. 23–28. (in Russ.)
12. Chibilyov A. A. (jr.) Administrativno-territorial’naya kharakteristika stepnoy zony RF [Administrative-territorial characteristics of the steppe zone of the Russian Federation]. Stepi Severnoy Evrazii: Materialy 7 mezhdunarodnogo simpoziuma [Steppes of Northern Eurasia. Proceedings of the VII international symposium]. Orenburg. IS UrO RAN [Institute of Steppe of the Ural Branch RAS]. 2015. P. 920–924. (in Russ.)
13. Rybakovsky O. L. Depopuljatsija v regionah Rossii: itogi za 1992–2022 gg. i komponenty [Depopulation in the regions of Russia: results for 1992–2022 and components]. Narodonaselenie [Population]. 2023. Vol. 26. No. 2. P. 4–17. (in Russ.)
2. Calasanti T. Brown Slime, the Silver Tsunami, and apocalyptic demography: The importance of ageism and age relations. Social Currents. 2020. Vol. 7. Iss. 3. P. 195–211. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/2329496520912736
3. Gietel-Basten S. Depopulation or population decline? Demographic nightmares and imaginaries. Vienna Yearbook of Population Research. Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. 2023. Vol. 21(1). P. 1–12. DOI:10.1553/p-ak37-74ha
4. Roca Z., Roca M. Demographic sustainability and spatial development in Portugal. Acta Geographica Bosniae et Herzegovinae. 2014. Vol. 2. P. 21–28.
5. Roca M., Silva V., Caldinhas S. Demographic Sustainability and Regional Development: The Case of Alto Minho and Alto Alentejo. Lisboa. Universidad Nova de Lisboa. 2002. 18 p.
6. Camarinha-Matos L.M., Afsarmanesh H. Active aging roadmap — A collaborative networks contribution to demographic sustainability. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology. 2010. Vol. 336. P. 46–59. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-15961-9_5
7. Stern E. Demographic sustainability and rural development policy. Journal of Maps. 2013. Vol. 9. Iss. 2. P. 154–160. DOI: 10.1080/17445647.2013.773566
8. Fauser V. V., Lytkina T. S., Smirnov A. V. Ustojchivoje razvitije severnykh regionov: demograficheskoje izmerenije [Sustainable development of the northern regions: population dimension] Ekonomika regiona [Economy of Regions]. 2018. Vol. 14. No. 4. P. 1370–1382. (in Russ.)
9. Roy O. M. Demograficheskaja ustojchivost’ territorii: metodologija otsenki [Demographic sustainability of the territory: methodology of evaluation]. Demograficheskaja i semejnaja politika v kontekste tselej ustojchivogo razvitija: sbornik statej 9 Ural’skogo demograficheskogo foruma [Demographic and Family Policy in the Context of Sustainable Development Goals. Proceedings of the IX Ural Demographic Forum]. Vol. I. 2018. Ekaterinburg. P. 38–51. (in Russ.)
10. Kiseleva N. N. Ustojchivoje razvitije sotsial’no-ekonomicheskoj sistemy regiona: metodologija, issledovanija, modeli, upravlenije [Sustainable Development of the Socio-Economic System of the Region: Methodology, Research, Models, Management]. Rostov-on-Don. JuFU [South Federal University]. 2008. 288 p. (in Russ.)
11. Lazareva V. V., Zinchenko M. V., Vlasova N. Yu. Demograficheskij aspect ustojchivogo razvitija prigranichnykh regionov [Demographic aspect of the Far East border regions sustainable development]. Uroven’ zhizni naselenija regionov Rossii [Living Standard of the Population in the Regions of Russia]. 2017. No. 2(204). P. 23–28. (in Russ.)
12. Chibilyov A. A. (jr.) Administrativno-territorial’naya kharakteristika stepnoy zony RF [Administrative-territorial characteristics of the steppe zone of the Russian Federation]. Stepi Severnoy Evrazii: Materialy 7 mezhdunarodnogo simpoziuma [Steppes of Northern Eurasia. Proceedings of the VII international symposium]. Orenburg. IS UrO RAN [Institute of Steppe of the Ural Branch RAS]. 2015. P. 920–924. (in Russ.)
13. Rybakovsky O. L. Depopuljatsija v regionah Rossii: itogi za 1992–2022 gg. i komponenty [Depopulation in the regions of Russia: results for 1992–2022 and components]. Narodonaselenie [Population]. 2023. Vol. 26. No. 2. P. 4–17. (in Russ.)
Article
Received: 27.06.2024
Accepted: 26.03.2025
Citation Formats
Other cite formats:
APA
Rudneva, O. S., & Sokolov, A. A. (2025). Demographic sustainability in the regions of the steppe zone of Russia. Population, 28(1), 17-26. https://doi.org/10.24412/1561-7785-2025-1-17-26
Section
DEMOGRAPHY: THEORY AND PRACTICE ISSUES
