Mortality in two capital cities of Russia

The article examines mortality trends in Russia’s largest cities, Moscow and St. Petersburg, from 1990 to 2022, in the context of overall urban population data for Russia. This period was chosen due to availability of Rosstat data and the opportunity to analyze mortality across the entire «post-Soviet Russia» era. The study pays particular attention to child and adolescent mortality, workingage mortality, and gender differences. There were used methods of descriptive statistics, Kendall’s concordance coefficients to assess consistency in mortality ratings by cause for Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Russia as a whole, standardized mortality rates, and graphical analysis. Mortality rates were standardized according to the 2013 New European Standard. The study results show key similarities and differences in mortality intensity and dynamics between Moscow and St. Petersburg. They not only highlight differences in mortality rates between the two cities but also provide a foundation for further research on mortality in other large cities and urban populations across Russia. The conclusions can be used in developing strategies and measures aimed at reducing mortality in major Russian cities, with a focus on specific age groups. Additionally, the findings are of significance for short-term demographic forecasting, healthcare planning, and addressing social challenges related to urban well-being.