The Russian Academy of Sciences estimated the damage from early mortality to the economy at 15–24 trillion rubles

Premature mortality annually costs the Russian economy in losses amounting to 15 trillion to 24 trillion rubles. The damage from each lost year of a person ranges from 226 thousand to 513 thousand rubles.

In scientific research Central Economics and Mathematics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, to which I drew attention RBC, it is said that the greatest damage to the economy comes from mortality from external causes – road accidents, poisoning (up to 5.2 trillion rubles per year). From 3.5 trillion to 4.8 trillion rubles. per year the economy loses due to diseases of the circulatory system.

Mortality from neoplasms causes damage in the amount of 1.8–2.8 trillion rubles. per year, diseases of the digestive system – 1.3–1.7 trillion rubles. in year. Due to infectious diseases (excluding COVID-19, HIV and tuberculosis), the economy loses about 1.15 trillion rubles.

As a basis for the study, scientists took data for the pre-pandemic year 2019 – then the number of prematurely died Russians exceeded 980 thousand people. They calculated economic damage by the sum of the cost of a year of life for a resident of the country and losses in GDP, taking into account the remainder until the end of their working life.

In the conclusion to the study, the authors indicated that the country’s authorities “need to increase health care spending.” Reducing mortality will improve the demographic situation and reduce damage to the economy, the material says.

In 2024, healthcare costs, according to the bill on the federal budget for 2024–2026, amounted to 289.9 billion rubles. In 2019 this amount amounted to 700 billion rubles.

More details in the text “Kommersant” “Spending goes towards defense”.

Petr Buzlaev