Russian Legislature Offers Suggestions for Boosting Birth Rate in Russia
Russia is taking significant steps to address its declining birth rate, with a goal to reach a fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman - the replacement level - within the next five years. This ambitious target was highlighted by President Vladimir Putin and recent State Duma resolutions.
To achieve this, the government is focusing on supporting rural families, who may have more children, and is implementing a range of initiatives and measures. These include financial incentives, such as one-time childbirth payments, enhanced maternity benefits, and continuing financial aid for families. The revival of the Soviet-era “Mother Heroine” title, which rewards women with more than ten children, is part of this expanded package.
Starting from January 1, 2026, a nationwide "family tax payment" will be introduced, offering federal co-financed support across ten recommended measures designed to aid families. Regional authorities may add additional local support programs beyond these federal measures, with 41 regions already receiving additional funding to boost family support and demographic growth.
Healthcare and reproductive health programs are also a key focus. A separate federal national project under the Family Project is improving the health of citizens, including reproductive health. Achievements so far include lowering infant mortality rates to among the lowest worldwide, which supports better child and maternal health outcomes crucial for increasing fertility.
Legislative measures are also under consideration to help curb population decline and support family growth. Proposals to tighten abortion laws and introduce further demographic-oriented policies are being considered.
The government is responding to concerns such as the historically low number of women of childbearing age and steadily declining birth rates. By combining financial, legislative, and healthcare measures, the government hopes to reverse population decline and reach the replacement fertility rate by the target timeframe.
While the challenge is significant, with regional examples like Udmurt Republic having TFRs as low as 1.39, the leadership insists on the necessity of the demographic turnaround. Positive progress is already being seen, with an increase in the number of women choosing to carry their pregnancies to term.
The 2025 National Project "Family" aims to unite all existing and planned support measures to create a synergistic effect, improving the quality of life for both childless citizens and existing parents. The project covers areas such as ensuring affordable housing through preferential mortgage programs, developing a medical assistance system for mothers and children, and promoting the image of large families in the media.
The government is also proposing regular monitoring of the achievement of intermediate and final goals of the "Family" national project. This includes conducting more thorough modeling of potential impacts on demographic situations and a detailed analysis of existing child benefits for low-income families. Scientific organizations are also being enlisted for expert evaluation of demographic processes nationwide.
Similar initiatives have been suggested by experts from the Higher School of Economics, reflecting a widespread recognition of the importance of addressing Russia's declining birth rate. Most developed countries underwent the so-called "second demographic transition" at the end of the last century, shifting to a population reproduction model that merely maintains its current size.
The main obstacles to increasing fertility are seen as related to family material well-being. The State Duma has committed to continuously monitoring the achievement of intermediate and final goals of the "Family" national project, with the hope of overcoming these challenges and achieving Russia's key national development goal of increasing fertility.
- In addition to focusing on financial incentives and healthcare initiatives, the Russian government is also considering policy-and-legislation changes to tighten abortion laws and introduce further demographic-oriented policies to address the declining birth rate.
- Healthcare and reproductive health programs are a crucial part of the government's efforts to increase fertility, with a separate federal national project improving the health of citizens, including reproductive health, and lowering infant mortality rates.
- To ensure comprehensive support for families, the 2025 National Project "Family" aims to unite all existing and planned measures, covering areas such as affordable housing, medical assistance for mothers and children, and promoting positive images of large families in the media.
- The government is enlisting scientific organizations for expert evaluation of demographic processes nationwide, and is also planning to regularly monitor the achievement of intermediate and final goals of the "Family" national project to ensure progress towards increasing family-health and overall fertility rates.
