A multilevel portrait of shrinking urban Russia

The demographic shrinkage of Russia, as measured by harmonized data on different geographical scales, appears unprecedented, geographically and historically. Using multivariate and multilevel statistical analysis, we show that shrinkage in cities is associated with different urban functions, and demonstrate the territorial disparity of their influence. This sophisticated description of urban and regional attributes of shrinkage provides insights into the probable consequences of different demographic policies in tomorrow's Russia.