Kazan moving to a new demographic record

(Kazan, KZN.RU, July 7, by Zilya Gafiyatullina). During the past six months, 695 more births were registered in the capital of Tatarstan than in the same period last year, said Albina Shavaleyeva, the head of the Registrar's Office of the Kazan Executive Committee, at today's Business Monday meeting. She informed the mayor about the demographic situation in the first half of 2014.

It is worth recalling that last year, the Kazan Registrar's Office registered a record number of births – 21,533 – which is 10% higher than the maximum reached even before perestroika.

According to Albina Shavaleyeva, the demographic situation in the city is characterized by high fertility and low mortality. "In the first half of the year, the number of births exceeded that of deaths by 3,930. Over the past four years, the natural population growth has been steadily increasing, not only in Kazan but also throughout Tatarstan. Besides, the capital of Tatarstan tops such megacities of the Volga Federal Distict as Ufa, Nizhny Novgorod and Samara in this respect," said the head of the Registrar's Office.

Commenting on the report Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin noted that the fertility decline, which some experts predicted after 2012, has not happened. On the contrary, Kazan is going through another baby boom. "In general, you have presented encouraging data. The baby boom continues in Kazan, and we are pleased with the number of newborns. We can also see that in the neighboring cities of the Volga region the indicators are quite different. Needless to say, Kazan's baby boom has been promoted by our investment activity and our businesses, as well as by the presidential program of construction of kindergartens and affordable housing. Kazan is an educational center which attracts active youth who start families in our city. We highly appreciate this fact," concluded the mayor.