Russia’s Miserable Century: 85 Million “Gone Missing”

What was the human cost of Russia’s 20th century trials and tribulations?

April 10, 2014

By The Globalist

Early 20th century Russian peasants. Captured by Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky.

Author

The Globalist

1. The Russian population is currently around 143.6 million — putting in in the top ten globally.

2. Some demographers believe that natural growth since 1913 should have put Russia’s population to almost 200 million (or even 225 million).

3. Two World Wars, fought by Russian commanders without regard for losses, two famines in the early 1920s and 1930s, purges and social ills brought about by communist mismanagement, including alcoholism, have left their mark on the size of Russia’s population.

4. This resulted in as many as 85 million Russians “going missing” – not being born at all.

5. This represents a reduction of Russia’s population from its natural growth of about 30%.

From How Russia Botched an Entire Century by Alexei Bayer (The Globalist)

Takeaways

Russia's population of 143.6 million is well below projections (expected from natural growth) of 200 million.

An estimated 85 million people were never born in 20th century Russia due to war, famine, purges & unrest.

Russia's current population is 30% less now than it should be had it followed natural growth trends.