Abstract
Synthesising data from Soviet and post-Soviet statistical sources, this paper provides a general overview of some of the major population trends of the Former Soviet Union with a special focus on the Central Asian Republics. The paper investigates the characteristics of the countries' vital statistics, paths of demographic transition and age structure as they have developed during the past 50-60 years. Particular emphasis is placed upon data and methodological problems encountered when doing population research on the region. Copyright (C) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.