Russia's gender life expectancy gap hits a decade—why are men dying younger?

Russia's current average life expectancy stands at 74 years, having dipped to 72 during the COVID-19 pandemic before rebounding, Gennady Onishchenko, vice president of the Russian Academy of Education, told TASS.

"While women live on average 10 years longer, men fall short of 70," he noted.

Onishchenko pointed out that a similar gap was recorded in the 1990s, when men were more prone to alcohol abuse while women—often driven by child-rearing responsibilities—tended to lead healthier lifestyles. Child and adolescent mortality also weighs on the statistics.

"Nature ensures that around 109 boys are born for every 100 girls—a natural buffer. But by the time they reach reproductive age, a pattern seen across all eras, the ratio drops to roughly 92 boys per 100 girls," he explained.

He cited male participation in the special military operation as an additional factor widening the disparity.

• Meanwhile, the population of Sverdlovsk Oblast has declined for the fifth consecutive year. Nearly half of the region's total loss over 22 years has occurred in just the past five. By the end of 2024, its population stands at 4.2 million—the lowest figure this century.