Mortality of Population in Northern and Arctic Regions of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in the Aspect of Demographic Security

Abstract

There are some problems in maintaining the demographic safety in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Such integral indicators as life expectancy, depopulation index and total fertility rate can be applied as indicators of demographic safety. In aggregated form they characterize reproduction of the population, the basic concept that lies in demographic safety entity.

The Arctic is a region of prospective industrial development of natural resources. It is important to have demographic potential with the necessary quantitative and qualitative parameters.

Mortality processes are the most important in terms of demographic safety for the Arctic and Northern regions of the Republic. Current state of population mortality is estimated as representing a certain threat to the demographic security. There were positive signs for the 2009‐ 2014 years: the number of deaths and the overall death rate were decreased. However, mortality rates are significantly higher than the average for the Republic.

The infant mortality rate, which is estimated in the world community as an indicator of social welfare society, has extremely uneven dynamics that due to the presence of demographically small aggregates. Over the years, the infant mortality rate is higher than the average for the Republic.

High mortality due to external causes of death remains the essential point in the characterization of mortality in the Arctic regions of Yakutia. In most of the Arctic and Northern regions of the Republic, the absolute number of deaths from external causes was decreased. However, stable high indicators compared with average coefficients for the Republic are marked there. For example, in the Allaihovskiy district in 2012 year mortality from suicide was above the national average of 7.75 times and in 2014 year in Anabarskiy district –7.8 times.

Elevated levels of population losses as a result of external causes of death requires special measures to preserve the demographic potential of Arctic regions, having a special geopolitical importance and representing the main resettlement area of the small‐numbered indigenous peoples of the North.