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The life expectancy of Russian men has plunged to just 59 years, the lowest level since the 1960s, according to new government statistics. Coupled with signs of a fall in the birth rate, the figures have prompted fears among commentators here that the Russian nation is literally dying out.
The provisional data from the State Statistics Committee prepared for Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin show that the average lifespan of Russian males in 1993 was three years shorter than that in the previous year. Russian women, too, are living shorter lives, although the drop for them over the 12 months was more modest, from 73.8 to 73.2 years. It takes overall life expectancy in the country to 65.8 years, which puts Russia on the same level as developing countries such as Algeria and Syria.
Average life spans in Russia have traditionally been shorter than those in the rest of Europe. Excessive consumption of the...