Brain Drain vs. Womb Drain: Which Will Deplete Russia First?

Russia is vast and rich, with abundant resources -- both human and natural. Russia should not be in decline. And yet, the bear's life blood is seeping out, as its best young men and women look abroad to escape the growing despair and futility.

Russia's ongoing demographic crisis affects the dying bear in many ways. More.

Not only is Russia suffering a "brain drain," it is also suffering a "womb drain" -- a steady out-migration of its fertile young women.

One aspect of the Russian womb drain is the Russian Bride phenomenon. Every year, thousands of young Russian women go through official emigration channels in order to escape the dead-end of modern Russia.

A darker aspect of Russia's womb drain is the steady out-flow of young Russian women looking for jobs as models and actresses -- but who end up as "hostesses," escorts, strippers, lap-dancers, and prostitutes in clubs and dives around the world.

In 1994–2009, according to the official data, Russia was left by nearly 900,000 women—because of an intensive female emigration, stimulated by various employment agencies abroad. A considerable part of the women, on the pretext of helping to find a well-paid job abroad, was criminally involved in the sex industry and other illegal activity

It is reasonable to assume that the real number of women emigrated from Russia is 1.5–2 times greater than the official data.

The reproductive losses caused by female emigration from Russia are indirectly estimated at 833,000 children that will not be born in the nearest 5 years. [15] _Demographia.ru

Russia's demographic decline has spawned a number of creative "solutions." One Russian feminist, author, and TV personality has proposed a large scale importation of young men from India, to serve as husbands for young Russian women.

Indian bridegrooms can help ward off a Chinese demographic invasion in Russia, says the feminist: “If we do not balance off the Chinese with Indians, Africans or aliens, by 2050 China will annex Russia’s Siberia up to the Ural Mountains.” _The Hindu

This sad portrait of Russian demographics from 2002, was thought to have been made obsolete by Vladimir Putin's bold new approach to governance. Unfortunately, as this update shows, Russia's decline is not so easily reversed.

High death rates combined with low birth rates have led to an ongoing decline in absolute numbers of ethnic Russians. Immigration into Russia from surrounding primitive areas and third world countries paints a false picture of Russian population resurgence -- but the underlying human capital of Russia's core population is being lost.

It is almost as if Putin and his cronycrats have given up on Russia's future, and are merely seeking to stash away as much of Russia's wealth as possible before the population overflow from neighboring countries -- including China -- sweeps across the empty Russian landscape.

Russia is aging rapidly, and losing its working-age population. By 2030, Russia is set to lose 17 million skilled workers. No one knows how these crucial workers will be replaced -- or if it is even possible to replace them.