Russia's birthrate is catastrophic. Now look
at Chechnya's.
CHECHNYA POSTS HIGHEST BIRTHRATE IN RUSSIA. The birthrate in Chechnya last year was the highest of any federation subject, with 25 live births per 1,000 people, Interfax reported on 19 October on the basis of data presented at a Moscow conference on demographic trends. As a result of the high birthrate and alleged low death rate (surprising in the light of widespread military actions in the republic), Chechnya had the second-highest rate of natural increase in Russia in 2003 after neighboring Daghestan. Those numbers dovetail with statistics unveiled earlier this year by the Chechen government, according to which Chechnya's birthrate during the 13 months between 1 January 2003 and February 2004 was four times higher than the mortality rate (32,355 live births compared with 7,100 deaths), ITAR-TASS reported on 12 February. LF
