British intelligence: over 1.3 mln people left Russia in 2022, among them young and educated professionals from high-earning industries

In 2022, over 1.3 mln people left Russia, among them young and educated professionals from high-earning industries, the UK Ministry of Defence reports in its daily bulletin, citing Defence Intelligence.

“Russia is almost certainly facing its worst labour shortage in decades. <…> Mobilisation, historically high emigration, and an ageing and shrinking population is limiting the labour supply. This will likely lead to a reduction in the potential growth of the Russian economy and risks stoking inflation,” the British intelligence notes.

The bulletin states that Russia’s population has decreased by two million more people than predicted over the last three years due to consequences of COVID and the war in Ukraine.

According to the Russian Central Bank, which had polled 14,000 employers, “the number of available employees was at its lowest level since 1998”. Earlier, Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development, Communications, and Mass Media reported that around 10%, or 100,000 IT specialists, left the country in 2022 and did not come back.