Russia has joined China and Japan in boosting the declining birthrate and introduced its own measures to boost population growth. To encourage young women to start families, a Russian region is offering a substantial incentive of 100,000 rubles (about Rs 81,000) to female students under 25 who give birth to a healthy child. The Moscow Times. To qualify for this payment, applicants must be a full-time student at a local university or college, under the age of 25, and a resident of Karelia.
The law clearly states that the bonus is not available to mothers who give birth to a stillborn child. However, it is not clear whether the payment will be canceled if the child dies due to sudden infant death syndrome. Furthermore, the policy does not specify whether young mothers who give birth to children with disabilities are eligible for payments, nor does it say whether they will receive additional bonus payments to help with the costs of child care and postpartum recovery. .
Russia’s birth rate has hit a historically low level, with only 599,600 babies born in the first half of 2024. This is the lowest number of births in 25 years, and 16,000 fewer than the same period in 2023. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the situation as “catastrophic for the future of the country” in July 2024. Luck.
Other regions of Russia are implementing similar incentives to encourage young women to have children. There is a similar program in Tomsk, a city in central Russia. In total, at least 11 regional governments in Russia are reportedly offering financial incentives to female students who have given birth.
The national government has also increased its maternity payments. Starting in 2025, first-time mothers will receive 677,000 rubles (about $6,150), a significant increase from last year’s amount of 630,400 rubles. Additionally, mothers having their second child will be eligible for 894,000 rubles (about $8,130), up from 833,000 rubles in 2024.
In particular, Russia’s population is declining due to low birth rates, high adult mortality rates, and emigration. The situation has been worsened by the war in Ukraine, which has resulted in large numbers of casualties and a mass exodus of civilians abroad.
The Russian government is trying to boost the birth rate through a variety of measures, including cash incentives and housing aid. However, these efforts have had limited success, and birth rates remain low. Government policies have also been criticized for being short-sighted and failing to address the underlying issues giving rise to the demographic crisis.
