Population of the Vologda region: number, average density. Social protection of the population of the Vologda region

The Vologda region is one of the primordially Russian regions with a high proportion of the Russian population and a long history of development. All this together with the natural conditions determines the way of life and the traditions that have developed in this region. Relatively low population density, a large proportion of rural residents and negative demographic dynamics are typical for this and neighboring regions.

Geographical position of the Vologda region

The region is located in the northern part of European Russia, in the temperate continental and moderately cold climate. Summer is short and not hot, winter is long and relatively harsh. In size, the region is a fairly large region, occupying an area of 144.5 thousand square meters. Km. Borders with the Arkhangelsk, Kirov, Kostroma, Tver, Yaroslavl, Leningrad, Novgorod regions and the Republic of Karelia.

The administrative center of the region is the city of Vologda, the industrial center is the city of Cherepovets. The districts of the Vologda region are 26 municipalities and two urban districts (Cherepovets and Vologda). More or less large cities are also considered Sokol and Veliky Ustyug.

Economy of the region

The gross domestic product in 2014 amounted to about 400 billion rubles. Based on the estimate for one person in the same year, 2014, GDP is relatively low - 31st place among other regions of the Russian Federation. Even worse is the situation in a number of rural areas of the Vologda region, which are depressive.

In the economy, leading positions are occupied by industry and agriculture. The sector of industrial production is dominated by metallurgy, machine building, timber and woodworking, pulp and paper, chemical and metalworking. In agriculture, the most important is dairy farming, which provides 70 percent of all agricultural products. In second place - logging.

Negative factors are the concentration of industry in one center (Cherepovets) and the presence of a large number of depressed rural regions.

General data on the population of the region

As of the first month of 2016, the population of the Vologda region was 1,188,000, of which 333,000 were rural residents and 855,000 urban residents. The share of the rural population was 28 percent, which is considered quite high compared with the average for Russia. The Vologda region occupies a leading position in terms of the share of the Russian population, which is 97.3% of the total number of inhabitants. Also, it is in the third place in terms of the prevalence of the East Slavic population, yielding only to the Arkhangelsk and Bryansk regions. Demographic dynamics indicates a gradual decrease in the population of the Vologda region, which is faster than the average for Russia. Even in a relatively safe period, zero population declined by more than 5%, which is several times greater than the Russian average. A relatively higher birth rate was characteristic of the 80s of the 20th century, and also after the year 2005. A low level occurred in the 90s and early 2000s. Nevertheless, the demographic dynamics in the region are somewhat better than in the most crisis-ridden Russian regions.

The average population density of the Vologda region as of 2017 was 8 people / km ² .

Reduction of the population of the region

The natural population decline is the dominant demographic trend of the region. First of all, this is due to low birth rate. Another reason is the tendency to outflow of local population to other regions. In the period from 2000 to 2015, the population decreased by 106 thousand people, which is 8.2%. To a greater extent, population decline is relevant for rural areas - here during the same period it reached 18 percent. This is largely due to the trend towards an outflow of people from rural areas to cities.

At the same time, statistics on the death rate seem to indicate a decrease in mortality, while an increase in the average life expectancy (by 5 years). It is likely that the decrease in mortality in the region and in Russia as a whole was the result of programs to combat smoking and a reduction in the number of smokers in the general population. Prospects for improving the demographic situation in the region are still very vague, due to the growing proportion of the elderly population, the change in the psychology of people and the deterioration of the socioeconomic situation in recent years.

Migration dynamics

The region is characterized by negative migration dynamics, when the number of those who leave is higher than the number of arrivals. From 2006 to 2015, the difference between the departed and arrived was 2063 people.

Dynamics of the working-age population

Over the past 15 years since 2000, the number of people of working age has declined (from 59.1 to 57.6%), while the number of pensioners has increased at the same time. This situation contributes to the deterioration of the quality of life of people of working age. In quantitative terms, this indicator is still small and amounts to only one and a half percent.

Demographic projections

According to available data, negative demographic dynamics will remain in the region in the coming years. According to the latest forecasts of Vologstat, in the period from 2017 to 2026 the population of the region will decrease by more than 40 thousand people, and in the next 5 years - at least another 30 thousand people. An increase in the proportion of the urban population of the Vologda region is expected to increase by 7%. Due to this in the period from 2017 to 2031, rural residents will be a third less. Visibly (for 15 000 people) the number of young people will decrease. Even more (for 74 thousand people) will decrease the number of people of working age. In the Ministry of Labor and Employment of the Vologda region, such a decrease was considered threatening.

Social protection of the population of the Vologda region

The demographic situation could be even worse than the current situation, if not for the measures taken to improve the living conditions of the population, which were supported by the governor of the Vologda region. Actions already taken include maternity capital, additional monthly payments at the birth of the third child, additional land plots for large families. All this became the reason for the growing number of families with more than two children. At the same time, the number of births (13.6 per 1,000 people in 2014) is not enough to ensure the natural maintenance of the population at the existing level, which requires further work in this direction.

In this regard, the governor of the Vologda region O. A. Kuvshinnikovym approved a strategic program to improve social conditions in the region. It includes such measures as improving the quality of social services, promoting healthy lifestyles, improving the security of citizens, access to quality education, spiritual development, maintaining the ecological balance, improving the management system and other measures. All this should help solve problems with the population of the Vologda region.