Mortality in Russia in the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Potential Demographic Consequences

This article reviews various data to judge demographic outcomes of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Official data on the number of people infected and dying from COVID-19 are compared with the Federal State Statistics Service data on additional mortality. The regions with the highest and lowest rates of additional mortality, with the highest and lowest misinformation of official data on those infected and dying from COVID-19 for the period from May 2020 to March 2021 are identified. Potential demographic consequences of the pandemic for Russia were estimated by comparing the forecasts with the 2018 and 2020 survival ratios. If mortality rates remain as they were in 2020, Russia’s total losses will exceed 4 million people by the end of 2045.