Demographic Development of Omsk Oblast in the Context of the Pandemic

Abstract

A study raises issues of the influence of quarantine restrictions and pandemic on the regional socio-demographic development. Even though the consequences of COVID-19 will become fully evident only at the end of 2021, this pandemic is already negatively affecting fertility and fertility behaviour. According to the Federal State Statistics Service, in 2020, the demographic situation was unfavourable: the number of births decreased in 78 constituent entities, and the number of deaths increased in 62 regions. Simultaneously, in the whole country, there were almost 1.5 times more deaths than births (last year, this difference was 1.2 times). Migration in an increasingly globalised world has triggered the accelerated spread of the disease. Therefore, border closures and quarantine measures (classic methods of combating epidemics and pandemics) for regions at high risk of infection drastically reduce the scale of population movement, change traditional migration directions, and create significant problems for migrants. Thus, this study aims to identify and substantiate risk factors to reduce the destabilisation of the regional socio-demographic development and form a sustainable regional policy.