Despite all the efforts Russia took to halt depopulation, the latest UN demographic report confirms that they have fallen short of the mark. As the decline of Russia's population accelerates, the country is set to face overwhelming social and economic problems. But there are few if any obvious answers, prompting some policymakers to reach for ever more desperate solutions.

The United Nations' report on human resources development in Russia offered gloomy forecasts for Russia's population, which the report claimed would decline by some 26m to 116m by 2050. The UN report has also warned that the rapid depopulation will bring dire economic consequences.

Russia has lost more than 12m people since depopulation started in 1992. This trend currently shows no signs of slowing down, and Russia will continue to lose people - the only question is: how quickly? An expert at the Russian Academy of Sciences Anatoly Vishnevsky painted an even gloomier picture, predicting a population of 98m for Russia in 2050.