In 2024, births in Russia fell to 1.22 million — the lowest level since 1999 — while deaths increased by 3.3% annually, to 1.82 million.

According to Russian Labor Minister Anton Kotyakov, the country needs to find the equivalent of 2 million workers per year over the next five years if the country’s industries are to fill vacancies left by people who are due to retire.

The Russian economy is set to need 10 million workers by 2030 – a challenge made more daunting as the country's demographic decline accelerates, worsened by the human losses from the war in Ukraine.

Russia is set to spend 6.3% of its GDP on defense this year — a post-Cold War high.

Russia needs to find the equivalent of 2 million workers a year over the next five years to fill vacancies left by people who are due to retire, Labor Minister Anton Kotyakov told President Vladimir Putin at a meeting on Monday.

The continuing labour shortage has pushed up wages and increased inflation, which hit 9.9% earlier this year amid Western economic sanctions.

September 18, 2023: The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 had several negative effects on the Russian economy. One of the less obvious ones is a labor shortage. As Russia mobilized more and more young men, it deprived many manufacturing or maintenance facilities of key staff. Military-age men who ...

Analysis-Russia's Labour Shortage Spreads as Defence Sector Poaches Staff. More. Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A general view of the city skyline at night in Moscow, Russia, September 17, 2024.