On October 14, the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation issued an opinion on the draft federal budget 2023, in which it indicated that the state program “Health Development” is unlikely to achieve its stated goals in the field of demography.
The greatest doubts are raised about plans regarding the life expectancy of Russians. According to the state program, by 2030 this figure should increase to 78 years, however, according to experts, it needs to be adjusted to 75-76 years.
Expected (or average) life expectancy is the number of years that, on average, a person from a certain hypothetical generation would have to live, provided that throughout the life of this generation the mortality rate at each age remains the same as in the period for which indicator calculated.
On average in Russia, life expectancy has increased from 70.06 at the end of last year to 71.2 this August. And although in general the North Caucasus remains the leader in this indicator in the country, since the beginning of 2022, life expectancy in Chechnya and North Ossetia has decreased. According to Rosstat, in Chechnya at the end of 2021 it was 73 years, and in August 2022 – 72.9; in North Ossetia it decreased from 72.4 years to 72.3.
Ingushetia traditionally remains the leader in longevity - in August 2022, the average life expectancy here was 81.6 years (in 2021 - 80.5 years). Dagestan is in second place – 77.3 years (76.5). Next come Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia.
Experts cite the coronavirus pandemic, the conflict in Ukraine, increased anxiety and stress among the population, sanctions limiting access to medicines and medical technologies, and decreased spending on children’s healthcare and medical research centers as the negative factors that caused the decline in this indicator.