leider in englisch, 58 for men and 72 for women.
Population dip in Russia blamed on alcoholism and poverty
Nick Paton Walsh in Moscow
Monday October 24, 2005
The Guardian
Russia's population has shrunk to 143 million, with the federal statistics agency announcing that the country had seen a decline of 506,400 since January.
Alcoholism, poverty, emigration and poor healthcare have caused a drop in the birth rate and life expectancy, which is now 58 for men and 72 for women.
There are now more abortions registered than live births. President Vladimir Putin has allocated funds to try to reverse the trend.
The United Nations Development Programme warned in a report released last week that by 2050 the population could be 80 million.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,2763,1599219,00.html