Population dynamics of Russia’s regions and the role of migration: Critical assessment based on the 2002 and 2010 censuses

Abstract

On the basis of the first results of Russia’s 2010 population census, the population dynamics of Russia’s regions for the 2002–2010 period is described and discrepancies between the census data and the results of the current record of the population for the recent intercensus period are analyzed. The results of the census are critically considered with allowance for problems in its operation in such regions as the North Caucasus republics, Moscow, and certain other regions; the incorrectness of the 2002 census data on the population size in certain regions is argued. Population migration between particular macroregions is estimated based on the net balance of the population size from the results of the 2010 census.