Introduction. Uncontrollable mortality in agricultural animals causes significant economic damage to the producers, and threatens the national food security. In the context of sanction restrictions, and the need to ensure the independence from import supplies, the problem of livestock mortality control has become particularly acute in the Russian Federation. Although the statistical data are available, the comprehensive analysis of the correlation of livestock mortality and population dynamics, as well as analysis of the factors inducing the growth of mortality are insufficiently presented in the scientific literature. This determines the relevance and purpose of the present study.

Materials and Methods. The study was conducted based on the data of the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation (Rosstat) for the period of 2019–2023. The methods of economic and statistical analysis were used, including the analysis of time series, calculation of livestock population growth rate, structural analysis of the share of mortality in the total figure of livestock population, and comparative analysis of the mortality and population rate changes in the main groups of agricultural animals.

Results. The situation has been identified as critical in pig farming, where the livestock mortality-to-population ratio has increased from 32.2% in 2019 to 43.1% in 2023, and in reindeer herding, where this indicator has reached from 14.9 to 19.0%. In most of the animal groups (cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and horses), the mortality growth rate was found to significantly exceed the population growth rate, and the amplitude of mortality fluctuations was higher, indicating the insufficient level of process control. The key groups of factors influencing mortality have been identified: natural and climatic factors (natural disasters, dangerous diseases), technical and organisational factors (feed shortage, unsatisfactory condition of the premises), and organisational and human (low qualified staff, belated veterinary care).

Discussion and Conclusion. The obtained results confirm the existence of a systemic problem of uncontrollable mortality in agricultural animals in the Russian Federation, which requires a transition from the local measures to the State regulation. A set of measures has been proposed, including planning the actions of agricultural enterprises that face the livestock mortality threat, developing an insurance system, strengthening the state support, upgrading employee qualifications, and expanding statistical recording. Implementation of these measures will improve the predictability of livestock population dynamics, reduce the socioeconomic damage caused by the livestock mortality, and strengthen the food security of the country.