Putin Pushes for More Babies as Russia’s Birth Rate Hits Historic Low
Russia’s Low Birth Rate Worries Putin
Russia’s birth rate is going down, and this has been a big concern for President Vladimir Putin during his 25 years in power.
The problem got worse after Russia sent many young men to fight in Ukraine over the past three years. This has reduced the number of people who can start families.
Putin says that if the population keeps shrinking, it could be very bad for Russia’s future. He has introduced many programs and spoken often to encourage Russians to have more children.
In December, Putin said in a meeting, “It’s extinction,” and asked Russians to do their duty and have bigger families.
This message reached people like 34-year-old Alexeyeva, who plans to have at least three kids with her new husband. “We are now more patriotic,” she said.
In 2023, the average number of children per woman in Russia was 1.41. Experts say the number needs to be at least 2.1 to keep the population stable.
But the situation may get worse. A population expert, Alexei Raksha, said the number of people in Russia who can have children will drop by 40% between 2010 and 2030. He also said that 2024 could see the lowest number of births in over 225 years.
Russia’s population is about 145.6 million (this includes 2.5 million people in Crimea, which Russia took from Ukraine in 2014). But this number could drop by 15 million in the next 20 years.
Other Problems Causing the Decline
Falling birth rates are a problem in many rich countries, but in Russia, it’s even more serious.
Men in Russia don’t live as long as women. In 2023, the average life expectancy for men was just over 68 years, 12 years less than for women. Because of the war in Ukraine, experts think it’s now closer to 66.
Russia doesn’t share how many soldiers have died in the war, but outside sources say at least 111,387 have been killed since 2022.
Even far from the war, alcoholism has been a big problem. It kills many Russian men and lowers the population.
One woman, Yelena, said her husband died while drinking in his car. They had been married 35 years. “I now realize I was living someone else’s life,” she said.
Another woman, Galina, said most of her friends are widows. She supports Putin’s push for more children. “My youngest daughter already has seven,” she said.
Government Tries to Help
Russia has tried to give money and benefits to families to encourage them to have more children.
One new policy offers $1,200 to schoolgirls who have babies, but this made many people angry, especially women’s rights groups.
Since 2007, about 2.5 million more births have happened due to government help, like money for mothers and support for housing.
But the main problem still exists.
Russia has also suggested making abortion laws stricter. However, experts say this doesn’t raise birth rates. Putin even signed a law banning “child-free” messages (messages that say it’s okay not to have kids).
Putin promotes “traditional family values,” where a family includes a mother, a father, and many children. This message has grown stronger since the war in Ukraine began.
Some people, like Alexeyeva, are listening — but it’s unclear if this will stop the long-term trend of fewer and fewer babies being born.
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