Russian population decreases

Russia's population shrank by 751,100 people (0.5%) last year. The estimated size of the Russian population on January 1st this year was 144.8 million. Over 2000, 1.2594 people were born against 1.2147 for 1999, that is by 3.7% more. The mortality rate increased less that the birth rate. The number of those died grew by 3.4% reaching 2.2171 people against 2.1443 in 1999. In absolute figures, the decrease in population was somewhat smaller than in 1999, which year saw a drop of 784,500, but percentage-wise it was 0.5% for both years, Interfax reports citing the State Statistics Committee.