President Vladimir Putin has proposed new measures to counteract Russia’s declining birth rate, calling for stronger support for fatherhood and more incentives for families with multiple children. The proposal came during a meeting of the Presidential Council for Strategic Development and National Projects, where the president devoted significant attention to the need to increase the nation’s population.
Why Russia’s Birth Rate Continues to Fall
According to Putin, the decline is driven by several objective factors. These include global demographic trends, the long-term impact of population “craters” formed in the mid and late twentieth century, and broader external pressures.
The president noted that some regions have shown improved attitudes toward having children, particularly the Mordovia, Altai Republic, Kabardino-Balkaria, as well as the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.
Priorities for Strengthening Demographic Policy
Putin instructed officials to study the most effective regional demographic programs and replicate successful practices nationwide. He highlighted several priority areas:
- Encouraging large families, noting that “the more children, the better,” and that each additional child should bring greater financial support to households.
- Improving the well-being of Russian families by raising incomes through long-term, sustainable economic development.
- Developing policies that support not only motherhood but “engaged fatherhood,” with men playing a more active role in family life, childcare, and decisions about expanding the family.
Upcoming Measures Already Approved
The president also outlined several measures already prepared for implementation:
- Starting 1 January 2026, the tax-exempt amount employers may pay employees upon the birth of a child will rise from 50,000 rubles to 1 million rubles.
- Birth rate performance will now be included in the evaluation of regional governors.
- Beginning in 2026, low-income families with two or more children (with per capita household income below 1.5 times the regional subsistence minimum) will qualify for family tax payments. According to Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, “next year, 4.2 million families with two or more children will receive a family payment.”
Russia’s Current Demographic Situation
Russia’s population continues to decline due to low fertility, high mortality among working-age men, and the lasting demographic impact of earlier population downturns. The total fertility rate remains below replacement level, at roughly 1.4 children per woman. The number of women of childbearing age continues to shrink, reflecting demographic gaps from the 1990s and 2000s. Life expectancy has begun recovering but still shows a gender gap of more than a decade. In several regions, natural population decline is partially offset by migration, yet nationwide demographic pressures continue to intensify.
