POPULATION OF THE RURAL TERRITORIES: STATUS AND TRENDS OF DEMOGRAPHIC DEVELOPMENT

The paper identifies the institutional and socio‑demographic factors that led to the gradual decline of the rural areas and to intensification of the urbanization process in Russia. The turbulent nature of this process took place in the twentieth century and led to the over‑concentration of population in the urban areas, which is typical for developing countries. The estimation of the factors affecting the change in the rural population and the demographic balance of the rural areas, such as natural and mechanical movement of the population was conducted. It is determined that the age structure of the rural population of Russia belongs to the decreasing (aging) type characteristic of the most developed European countries, with a predominance of the proportion of older people relatively to the young (growing) population. The life expectancy and average age of the rural residents, which in dynamics showed an increasing trend, are investigated. The level of the general and registered unemployment, which largely relate to the long‑term unemployment, is analyzed. The high level of unemployment among the rural population is due to the specifics of the labor market in rural areas associated with high labor intensity, low profitability of production, low wages and qualifications of workers relative to the urban population. All this has led to the involvement of the economically active population in the process of prolonged urbanization and as a consequence to the socio‑economic stagnation and depopulation of rural areas. The coefficient of demographic load on the productive part of the rural population and the economy of rural settlements on the part of the dependent part of the population, which should become a certain reference point for local governments in the planning of financial expenditures on the social policy of rural settlements.

rural population, number of rural settlements, natural population decline, rural population migration, demographic situation in rural settlements, age structure of rural areas, average age of rural population, rural unemployment rate, depopulation of rural areas, demographic burden of the rural population, human potential of rural areas.

Zubova O. G. Population of the rural territories: status and trends of demographic development // Business. Education. Law. 2018. No. 4 (45). Pp. 115–121. DOI: 10.25683/VOLBI.2018.45.424.