The more ethnic Russians, the better. — Ed
Russia’s population statistics are rising for the first time since 1995, says Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Mr Putin said that for the past five years the number of deaths had declined, while births had risen.
He said statistics to be released shortly would show life-expectancy had almost reached the age of 69.
Aspresident, Mr Putin brought in policies to stop population decline,which has been blamed on emigration, alcoholism, and poor health care.
‘Symbolic amount’
“We can say with a high degree ofconfidence that Russia will register a growth in population for thefirst time since 1995,” said Mr Putin at an end-of-year governmentmeeting broadcast on state television.
His spokesman DmitryPeskov said the total anticipated population growth in 2009 was onlyabout 20,000 – but he said this was a “symbolic” amount.
HealthMinister Tatyana Golikova said the first month of population growth in15 years came in August this year, when the birth rate increased by1,000.
Figures published in November said Russia’s population stood at 141.9 million.