Assessments of demographic processes in the regions of Southern Central Russia in demographic reports of the Higher School of Economics and official documentation of regional administrations in the 2000s-2019 years

Based on historical, demographic and political science approaches, the article assesses the information capabilities of the annual HSE Demographic Reports and purely management documents - ready-made reports of governors and RCP - for understanding regional demographic processes. A continuous study of the main demographic indicators (population, fertility, mortality, natural increase, life expectancy, migration movement) for the period 2005-2019 allowed the authors to come to the conclusion that the materials studied to a significant extent complement each other, in general, are sufficient for an objective assessment of demographic processes in the south of Central Russia at the beginning of the XXI-st century. At the same time, the article notes individual manifestations of bureaucratic aspirations to keep silent about negative demographic processes.