DEMOGRAPHIC PROCESSES IN THE ARCTIC: GLOBAL TRENDS AND LOCAL FEATURES

JOURNAL: Volume 16, No. 1, 2026, p. 123-135

HEADING: The quality and standard of living of North Indigenous Peoples

AUTHORS: Smirnov, A.V.

ORGANIZATIONS: Institute of socio-economic and energy problems of the North, Komi Science Centre Ural Branch of the RАS

DOI: 10.25283/2223-4594-2026-1-123-135

UDC: 314.18(98)

The article was received on: 24.07.2025

Keywords: population, municipal districts, space development, migration, mortality, fertility, World Arctic

Bibliographic description: Smirnov, A.V. Demographic processes in the Arctic: Global trends and local features. Arktika: ekologiya i ekonomika. [Arctic: Ecology and Economy], 2026, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 123-135. DOI: 10.25283/2223-4594-2026-1-123-135. (In Russian).

Abstract:

The Arctic area unites different climatic zones, diverse cultures and societies, settlements with different economic specializations. However, in recent years, the influence of global trends on the Arctic, smoothing out these differences, has become increasingly noticeable. The study covers the entire world Arctic — eight countries, 25 of their Arctic regions and 362 municipalities. For the first time, the fertility, mortality and migration rates of all Arctic territories for 2010-2024 are considered consistently at the global, country, regional and municipal levels. At the country and regional levels, we have used life expectancy, total fertility rates, and net migration growth; at the municipal level, we have used age-standardized total fertility and death rates, and average annual net migration growth. Cartographic methods have made it possible to identify spatial patterns of natural and migratory population movement. The study showed that in 2010-2024, under the influence of global demographic trends, there was a convergence of Arctic territories in terms of natural population movement. By the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, the fertility rate differs significantly, primarily in the areas where indigenous peoples live, and the mortality rate differed significantly between most Russian territories. Human migration patterns are determined primarily by the quality of life of the population and the logic of the development of the extractive industry.

Finance info: The research was supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant no. 24-78-10061, https://rscf.ru/project/24-78-10061/. Data on the foreign Arctic were collected and systematized within the framework of the research project “The impact of demographic challenges on employment in Northern and Arctic territories: New Realities of the 21st century” (No. 125013001104-0, 2025-2027).

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DOI 10.25283/2223-4594