Soviet famine of 1946–1947

The Soviet famine of 1946–1947 was a major famine in the Soviet Union. It was also the last famine in Soviet history.

The estimates of victim numbers vary, ranging from several hundred thousand to 2 million.: xv  Recent estimates from historian Cormac Ó Gráda, state that 900,000 perished during the famine. Regions that were especially affected included the Ukrainian SSR with 300,000 dead, and the Moldavian SSR with 100,000 dead. Other parts of the Soviet Union such as the Russian SFSR and the Byelorussian SSR were also affected with 500,000 deaths. Elsewhere, malnutrition was widespread but famine was averted. The famine is notable for very high levels of child mortality.

The famine has been attributed in part to the effects of World War II, and in part on government policy. The war had destroyed part of the country's agricultural infrastructure, and the post-war demobilization of the Soviet troops is thought to have caused a new baby boom. The increase of the population at the time of an already ongoing food shortage was one of the causes of the famine. A severe drought in 1946 resulted in a poor harvest, while the Soviet government raised the food prices and made food unaffordable. The government continued exporting food during the famine, and declined to seek international assistance.

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