Russia's President, Putin, outlines reasons for decreasing birth rate in the country
Russia is grappling with a decline in birth rates, a trend that President Vladimir Putin has attributed to a combination of demographic, economic, and social issues.
In late 2023, Rosstat, Russia's federal statistics service, released data showing a 3.2% decrease in the number of births in the country compared to the previous year. This decline is significant, with only 1.26 million births recorded in 2023.
Putin has highlighted several factors contributing to this trend. One of these factors is the prioritization of education, post-education, and acquiring additional knowledge. According to Putin, people are delaying having children due to these pursuits.
The decline in birth rates is not a new phenomenon in Russia. In fact, the country's birth rate has been falling significantly for years, with 1.22 million births recorded in 2024—the lowest since 1999—and a birth rate well below the replacement level of 2.05 children per woman (at around 1.41 in 2023).
Economic and social hardships also play a role in this decline. Widespread job losses, youth outmigration from small towns, industrial decline, and economic instability contribute to a reduced incentive or ability to have more children. In fact, nearly 130 small towns face extinction due to depopulation and economic collapse.
Russia also faces increased mortality, including war-related losses that are not fully reflected in official statistics, and significant emigration—estimated between 800,000 and 950,000 people since February 2022. These factors deplete the younger, reproductive-age population.
President Putin perceives population growth as a matter of ethnic survival and national strength. To counteract these trends, the government has implemented initiatives such as cash payments and tax breaks for larger families, as well as more controversial policies like paying schoolgirls to have children.
However, these initiatives face significant structural challenges. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has worsened demographic trends by increasing mortality, driving emigration, and straining social and economic systems. Despite Putin's military actions aiming to strengthen the nation, they paradoxically exacerbate population decline.
One positive note is the increase in the total fertility rate for third children. Over the past six years, this rate has increased by 12%. This increase suggests that families are choosing to have more children, albeit later in life.
In conclusion, the decline in Russia’s birth rates is driven by complex demographic dynamics including an aging population, socio-economic difficulties compounded by industrial decline and war, high mortality, significant emigration, and insufficient population replacement rates. Government initiatives seek to counteract these trends but face significant structural challenges.
- The decline in Russia's birth rates, a pressing concern for President Putin, can be attributed to not only economic and social hardships, but also the prioritization of education and personal pursuits in science, health-and-wellness, politics, and general-news, causing people to delay having children.
- The decrease in Russia's birth rate is also reflected in the society's political and economic discourse, with President Putin noting that increased mortality, emigration, and war-related losses deplete the younger, reproductive-age population, making population growth a matter of ethnic survival and national strength.
