Decline and fall:

[jrittenhouse]

Systemic social problems in the Russian Federation are leading to a population decline of large proportions and a general decline in society….

It is not obvious that Russia will be able to recover rapidly from its health katastroika. There is an enormous amount of “negative health momentum” in the Russian situation today: with younger brothers

Comments

[skylarker]

That's very disturbing. It sounds like Russia is suffering from a suicidal depression.

[jrittenhouse]

That's the way I took it.

[rfmcdpei]

It's interesting to note that this is a problem of ex-Soviet Slavs. In Estonia, for instance, health indicators for ethnic Estonians come relatively close to northern European levels, but are as catastrophic for Russophones as they are for Russians.

Broadly speaking, this is one of the factors that will see a comparably-sized Brazil continue to overtake Russia.