RURAL URBAN DIFFERENTIALS IN DEMOGRAPHIC-PROCESSES - THE CENTRAL-ASIAN STATES/

While the populations of the Central Asian successor states are extrem ely heterogeneous on many indicators, the issue of rural or urban resi dence is consistently important in terms of differentials in populatio n growth, socio-economic status and public health. In this paper I foc us on rural population trends in Kazakhstan, Kyrghyzstan, Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. I explore the relatively disadvantaged po sition of rural inhabitants as well as regional variations within the rural population. The differentials in fertility and mortality rates a nd the large projected population increases indicate that future polic y interventions and data collection efforts should incorporate a speci fic focus on rural areas.