Putin suggests new approach to boosting birth rate in Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a new initiative to raise birth rates in Russia, calling for measures that encourage more active fatherhood in addition to existing maternity support.
Speaking on Monday at a meeting of the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects, the Russian president said the country needs a broader, more long-term approach as the demographic situation continues to worsen.
“The family is based on mutual respect, on the participation of both parents in raising children,” Putin said. “Therefore, alongside supporting motherhood, we need to think through measures to support responsible fatherhood.”
The president said the idea is for men to take a more active part in everyday family care, in decisions about having children, and be more involved in their upbringing. Putin added that responsible fatherhood also entails leading a healthy lifestyle and preserving reproductive health for as long as possible.
According to Putin, the demographic agenda should focus on system-wide tasks designed to support families in a sustained way.
Russian officials have long warned of a looming demographic crisis in the country. The Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) reported only 1.222 million births in 2024, the lowest annual total since 1999, marking a decline of one third compared with 2014. This reflects a worldwide trend in both developed and developing countries towards sub-replacement fertility rates.
To reverse the trend, the government has introduced a range of support measures, including lump-sum payments for childbirth, expanded maternity benefits, and ongoing financial assistance for families. The Soviet-era “Mother Heroine” award offering cash rewards to women who have more than ten children has also been revived.
Officials have proposed other policies as well, such as discouraging the promotion of “child-free” lifestyles and offering extra tax breaks for larger families.
Putin has repeatedly stressed the importance of improving economic and social conditions in order to promote larger families and make parenthood a widely supported choice. In June, he endorsed the creation of a national family support service. Last year, he established a presidential council focused on family and demographic policy.
