The majority of deaths in Russia are caused by cardiovascular diseases and related conditions.
More than 80% of deaths in the country are linked to cardiovascular diseases, malignant neoplasms, chronic respiratory illnesses, and diabetes, said Batyr Berdyklychev, head of the World Health Organization (WHO) office in Moscow, in an interview with RIA Novosti.
“The main disease burden is primarily associated with chronic non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, malignant neoplasms, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes. These conditions account for more than 80% of all deaths in the country,” he noted.
Berdyklychev added that factors influencing morbidity and mortality include alcohol abuse, smoking, excessive salt consumption, unhealthy diets, air pollution, and high blood pressure.
According to Rosstat data, Russia’s natural population decline (the excess of deaths over births) reached nearly 597,000 people in 2024. The number of births stood at 1.222 million, lower than in 2023, while deaths rose to 1.82 million. The record decline in modern history was registered in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it exceeded 1 million people.
In August 2025, Roman Gorenkov, chief specialist in general medical practice at the Moscow Region’s Ministry of Health, cited similar mortality causes, adding tuberculosis, HIV, and mental disorders to the list.
The WHO representative also assessed Russia’s targets for life expectancy: 78 years by 2031 and 81 years by 2036. He recalled that progress has already been made since the start of the century: from 65 years in 2000 to 73 years in 2019. Although the pandemic temporarily stalled growth, “this progress reflects the results of systemic work in healthcare, social development, and quality of life improvement.” The targets are “ambitious but realistic,” Berdyklychev concluded.
Source: RBC, 20.09.2025
