Territorial coverage of intensive depopulation in Russia at the municipal level

Depopulation has a negative impact on the socio-economic development of the country as a whole and on its separate parts. Particularly problematic are the areas with intensive depopulation - those with the annual rate of decline in population size over 2%. They require special programs on socio-economic development and stabilization of population size. The article analyzes the spatial distribution of intensive depopulation in modern Russia at the first municipal level - urban districts and municipal districts. It shows that the positive demographic trends observed in Russia in recent years are unstable. In fact, the demographic crisis of the turn of the century has not been overcome. The demographic crisis is particularly severe at the municipal level. During the period of 2010-2016 population growth was observed only in 21.9% of the urban districts and municipal districts that occupied only 11.3% of the area of the country. It has been found out that the most acute problem of population reduction is in municipalities of the Central, North West and Far East Federal districts, where the share of urban districts and municipal districts with annual depopulation over 2% exceeds 1/5. The main component of depopulation in the European part of Russia is the natural decrease of population, and in the Far East the main contribution is made by the intensive migration outflow of population. The most favorable situation is in the municipalities of the North-Caucasian Federal district, mainly due to the significant natural population growth. But the successful municipalities with population growth are in all regions of the Russian Federation, and not only in their administrative centers. The example of such prosperous territories can be used in development of special programs at the Federal and regional levels.