printDemographic Situation in a Depopulated Region of the Russian Federation (the Saratov Region Case)
Loginova L.V.
Dr. Sci. (Sociol.), Prof. Chair of philosophy, Saratov State Law Academy Saratov, Russia. lvloginova66@mail.ru
Loginova L.V. Demographic Situation in a Depopulated Region of the Russian Federation (the Saratov Region Case). Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2025. No 6. P. 105-118
Depopulation of the population, exacerbating the problem of low population in vast territories of the Russian Federation, is a key challenge of the 21st century. An example of this problem is the Saratov Region, a territory with a borderline geostrategic status, whose demographic situation is characterized by large–scale population declines, especially rural ones. The decrease in the number of residents of the region is due more to natural decline than migration. Migration outflow is more noticeable in rural areas. The decline in the birth rate is due to the narrowing and aging of the reproductively capable female population, and a decrease in the number of first and second births. Territorial differences in demographic indicators are related to the ethnic composition of the population and the degree of remoteness/proximity to the Greater Saratov agglomeration. The cluster «high birth rate – high migration outflow» consists of the eastern regions near the border with Kazakhstan with a high proportion of densely populated Muslim ethnic groups. The cluster «very low birth rate – high migration decline» is formed by the smallest western regions of the region with an absolute predominance of the Russian population. Both clusters are geographically the most remote from the regional center with a rural type of settlement. Comprehensive measures are needed to overcome negative demographic trends, taking into account age and territorial transformations in the female reproductive population structure.
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