MOSCOW - Russia’s able-bodied population is expected to decline in absolute numbers starting 2006, Irina Zbarskaya, head of the Census and Demographic Data Department, said last week.

Today, 61 percent of Russia’s population – about 89m people – are considered able-bodied. The country’s able-bodied population will drop by 50,000 people to 1m people a year starting 2006, according to different estimates.

Ms. Zbarskaya said 50 percent of Russia’s able-bodied population were people above 35 years. Soon, these people would be unable to keep up with hi tech advancement, and the Russian economy would be developing “against the background of unfavorable age structure of able-bodied persons”, she said.

According to analysts, a high death rate among working age people is a major problem for Russia. Over the past decade, the death rate among people aged 20 to 29, has risen by more than 60 percent. The main causes were cardiovascular diseases, accidents, poisoning and infectious diseases including hepatitis, tuberculosis and AIDS and alcoholism.

In general, young Russian people are less healthy (physically and psychologically) than their parents. Only 20 percent of newborn babies can be considered healthy, and 50 percent of schoolchildren suffer from various chronic diseases. The number of people suffering from tuberculosis, has increased by 70 percent over the past five years. The number of deaths caused by alcohol poisoning, accidents, murders and suicides, has also increased. This is largely due to increasing alcoholism, smoking and drug addiction. But there are no effective campaigns to advertise a healthier lifestyle.

According to the 2002 census, the population of the Russian Federation is 145.2m. Russia is the world’s 7th largest country after China (1.285bn people), India (1.025bn), the United States (286m people), Indonesia (215m), Brazil (173m) and Pakistan (146m).

Russia’s population dropped 1.8m people compared with the previous census of 1989, mostly due to the natural loss of the population (more people died than were born).

Ms. Zbarskaya said the life expectancy would rise after 2008-2010. Today, the average life expectancy is 58 years for men and 72 years for women. According to UN standards, Russia’s population is considered old-age, with people over 65 years making up 13 percent of the population (in Spain and Sweden, it is 17 percent).