Alarming birth rates concern the Kremlin
The onslaught war on Ukraine leaves consequences in Russian society: The population is developing in a "catastrophic" direction, according to the Kremlin. The birth rate is reportedly not good enough, despite being comparable to some European countries, Japan, and so on, but catastrophic for the nation's future.
The Kremlin has described the population development in Russia as "catastrophic for the nation's future." "We live in the largest country in the world and are becoming fewer every year," said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov, according to the Russian news agency TASS. The current birth rate in Russia is 1.4 children per woman, according to Peskov.
This is "comparable to European countries, Japan, and so on, but catastrophic for the nation's future," Peskow added. "Everyone with many children is a hero." The only way to counteract this, he said, is "to increase the birth rate."
The birth rate in Russia has been at similarly low levels since the 1990s. Back then, a deep social and economic crisis in the country led to a decline in the number of births. The Russian state has been trying to counteract this for over two decades with social benefits and subsidized loans for large families, but so far without success. Since 2020, a large number of Covid-19 deaths, the flight of hundreds of thousands of people from the mobilization for the assault war in Ukraine, and a decline in immigration to Russia have further complicated the situation.
However, Kremlin spokesperson Peskow denied any political responsibility of State President Vladimir Putin for the demographic crisis. Measures to increase the birth rate, he said, would have "no immediate effects." The situation would "remain difficult for a certain period of time," the government was "working very hard on it," and the issue was "one of the priorities of the Russian president."
Despite the low birth rate being comparable to some international counterparts, the Kremlin views it as "catastrophic for Russia's future," given the country's vast size. This negative demographic trend has become a significant concern in Russian politics, particularly amidst the ongoing Attack on Ukraine and its subsequent implications.
