Penza, 6 February 2013. PenzaNews. The Penza region, along with Komi, Adygea, North Ossetia-Alania, the Kirov and Volgograd regions entered the twenty Russian regions, where the mortality rate reduced by 2–3% in 2012.

As the Minister of Labor and Social Security of Russia Maksim Topilin announced, in 21 more regions the mortality rate decreased by 3,7%.

“In total, 1,898,8 thousand people died in Russia in 2012. This is 26,2 thousand people, or 1,4% less than in the previous year,” the minister specified.

According to Maksim Topilin, during the past year, 1,896,3 thousand children were born in the country, which is the highest result since 1990.

“In 2012, natural decline of population amounted to 2,573 people. Natural increase was registered in 40 regions, which is 12 regions more than in 2011,” Maxim Topilin specified.

According to the minister, the highest rates of natural increase are observed in Bashkortostan, Komi and Udmurtia, as well as in Kamchatsky and Krasnoyarsky Krai.