The current demographic situation in the Kola North: concerning human presence in the Arctic

The study describes the current demographic situation in the Murmansk region in the context of the regional development strategy. The causes of depopulation of the region and its dynamics in the 21st century are analyzed. The study elaborates on factors in migration mood of the region’s inhabitants. They include environmental, climate, and economic factors as well as personal one due to a change in marital status. The research notes the significance of the climate factor and its link with the economic causes of migration: polar benefits do not compensate for adverse living conditions in the north. The study identifies the key areas of population movement in the Kola North such as “donor territories” and “recipient territories”. The authors discuss human presence in the Arctic in analytical terms of statistics on population movement and the results of a sociological study on the migration patterns of the Kola North residents.