No. 18 Russia

2010 Population: 141,920,000
Forecast 2050 Population: 126,674,000
Percent Decrease: 10.7 percent
2010 Population over age 65: 13 percent
Fertility Rate: 1.5
Net Migration Rate: 2

Despite the arrival of millions of immigrants, Russia's population has fallen by 6.6 million since 1993, according to a U.N. report. In 2006 the government introduced financial subsidies to give parents incentives to bear children. The School of Russian and Asian Studies recently reported that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin proposed eliminating school enrollment waiting lists, modernizing preschool programs, and increasing access to affordable housing for young families. Still, life expectancy in Russia—at 68—is slightly below the world average of 69 and the prevalence of HIV in the male population is high.