Marriages and divorces in the Arctic zone of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic in 2000–2022

Abstract

BACKGROUND: One of the primary concerns for national security in the Russain Arctic today is the declining population. A decrease in population over the last decade has also been observed in the Arctic zone of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic. This trend can be attributed to unfavorable medical and demographic factors, such as low birth rates and relatively high mortality rates in the 13 districts that belong to the Arctic zone. We hypothesize that low marriage rates in most of the Arctic districts may also contribute to population decline. AIM: To describe marriage and divorce rates in the Arctic zone of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic in 2000–2022. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A descriptive study. Materials from the official government statistics were used. Initially, marriage- and divorce rates were calculated using the percentile method in all districts of the republic. Then the analysis was performed using the data from 13 Arctic districts. Associations between the variables were studied by correlation analysis RESULTS: Both marriage- and divorce rates were relatively low in the Arctic districts as demonstrated by the data in tables and charts and supported by the results of the correlation analysis. CONCLUSION: The Arctic regions of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic face challenges due to relatively low marriage- and divorce rates, which exacerbate the already unfavorable medical and demographic situation. In order to address these issues and improve the demographic policy in the region, specific recommendations have been developed for the municipal leaders of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic.