The section gives data on population size, age composition of population, birth rate, death rate, as well as on migration processes.

Population censuses are primary sources of data related to population. The latest All-Russia Population Census was conducted in 2002 as of October 9.

Data on the total population size, distribution by age groups are given for resident population covering permanent inhabitants of the given territory, including temporary absentees during the census period.

Population is comprised of urban and rural population according to their place of residence. Settlements are treated by the legislation as belonging to the urban category and are regarded as urban settlements. All other settlements are considered as rural.

The registration of such events as births, deaths, marriages and divorces are received on the basis of annual processing of data contained in the records on birth, death, marriages and divorces respectively filed in by civil registrar offices. Only live births are recorded.

Since 1997, the data on marriages and divorces have been obtained on the basis of the registrar records.

The minimum age for marriages in the Russian Federation set by the law is 18 years both for males and for females. In some cases, according to the decision of local authorities, it may be reduced although not more than by 2 years.

The date of marriage is the date of its registration in the civil registrar offices. Marriage is considered dissolved from the moment of divorce registration.

The source of information on the causes of death is represented by inscriptions in the death certificates issued by physicians concerning diseases, accidents, homicides, suicide or other external causes (injuries caused by actions envisaged by law, non-specified injuries - seldom or planned, injuries as a result of military actions) being the cause of death. The inscriptions are then sent to state statistical bodies for compilation tabulation.

Before January 1, 1999 records of deaths by causes of death were compiled according to the Abbreviated Mortality List (1981) based on the International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Injuries and Causes of Death, WHO Rev. IX (1975). Since January 1, 1999 the records of deaths by causes of death have been compiled according to the Abbreviated Mortality List (1997) based on the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, WHO Rev.X (1989).

Crude birth and death rates are computed as a ratio, correspondingly, of the number of live births and deaths during a calendar year to the mid-year present population. They are computed in promilles (per 1000 of population).

Natural increase rate is the difference of crude birth and death rates. It is computed in promille (per 1000 of population).

Mid-year population is computed as an arithmetic mean of population at the beginning and the end of the corresponding year.

Total vital statistics rates are used, as a rule, for estimation of current population changes in general (i.e. for estimating population size changes). Alongside with total birth and death rates, a set of specific indicators and coefficients are used to get expanded (complete) characteristics of demographic situation.

Among them:

life expectancy at birth, is a mean number of years to be lived by a person from a hypothetical cohort, assuming the mortality level for every age remains the same as in the years for which the rate is computed;

death rates by causes is a ratio of deaths by causes specified to mid-year present population (by current estimates). They are computed per 100 000 of population;

infant mortality rates are computed as a sum of two components, the first of which shows the ratio of the number of deaths under one year from the generation born in the year for which the rate is computed, and the second component shows the ratio of deaths under one year of infants from the generation born in the preceding year, to the total number of births of the preceding year. This rate is computed in promille (per 1000 of live births).

Data related to international migration are obtained by tabulation of the documents supplied by territorial bodies of the Federal Migration Service and containing primary information on arrivals and departures recorded at the place of migrant residence.

Concepts "arrivals" and "departures" are acceptable only conditionally to produce adequate statistics on migrants since the same person may change his/her residence more than once during a given year.

Information relevant to refugees and forced re-settlers is obtained on the basis of data collected by the Federal Migration Service. The number of refugees and forced re-settlers per year is equal to the number of persons granted a corresponding status by territorial migration bodies, plus the number of those already having the status and arrived from other regions of the country and minus those being deprived of the status. The number of refugees and forced re-settlers is equal to the sum of corresponding figures for 1992 -2006 and decreased by those being deprived of the status for the previous years.