129 small towns in Russia could disappear.

Over the past 10 years, the population of small towns has decreased by 314,5 thousands, according to a study by RANEPA. The main reasons are declining employment and a decline in the number of small and medium-sized businesses.

“The greatest decline was experienced by northern coal, metallurgy, and timber industry cities, as well as peripheral cities in depressed regions,” the study states.

According to the head of the laboratory for research on development economics at the Presidential Academy Stepan Zemtsov, the process of “compression” of small towns can take place over the course of several generations.

However, Zemtsov believes that new economic incentives could save the situation. For example, redistributing logistics flows, creating industrial or agro-industrial clusters, investment projects in tourism, or reviving local production.

Currently, in settlements that are threatened with extinction, there live 3,4 million people.