Genitive case: Russia has a demographic strategy
The Government has approved a family and demographic policy strategy for the period up to 2036. The measures are aimed at increasing the birth rate and improving the health of the population. The strategy will be an important step towards improving the demographic situation in the country, experts say. However, the lack of resources, regional differences and bureaucratic barriers may reduce the effect of its implementation. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
National priority
Russia has approved an action strategy for the implementation of family and demographic policy and support for large families in Russia until 2036. The corresponding decree was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
The goals of the strategy are to preserve the country's population by increasing the birth rate, strengthening the health of citizens, as well as supporting and protecting families as the fundamental foundation of Russian society through traditional values.
The document contains specific measures aimed at achieving the objectives set. In particular, a comprehensive program is planned to strengthen the health of families and increase the birth rate. Special attention will be paid to reproductive health issues. To this end, the authorities will expand the network of women's clinics and modernize perinatal centers. It is also planned to improve screening programs for pregnant women and children.
In addition, the planned measures include increasing the availability of medical care to women at their place of residence, including rural areas and small towns, developing rehabilitation and psychological support programs after the birth of a child, improving infertility treatment methods, and increasing their accessibility and effectiveness.
A set of measures to support families with children has also been thought out in the strategy. It will be provided through the development and improvement of state social assistance and tools aimed at increasing the availability of housing for families, including rental and social housing.
Universities plan to create conditions for student families and students with children — mother and child rooms, short-stay groups, places to stay in dormitories, etc.
Separately, the strategy provides for expanding the practice of flexible working hours, remote and individual work formats for pregnant women and employees with minor children.
The package of measures will also affect kindergartens. It is planned, in particular, to create duty groups that will synchronize the working hours of preschool institutions with the schedules of the parents of pupils. The overhaul and retrofitting of kindergartens will continue. Attention will also be paid to improving the transport accessibility of educational institutions for children from remote areas.
In turn, to strengthen the institution of the family, the strategy proposes to expand the program of psychological support for couples aimed at preventing divorce. Other measures include the approval of the day of large families in the regions, the establishment of public awards for grandparents with several grandchildren, the development of active longevity programs, etc.
The strategy will be implemented in two phases, from 2025 to 2030 and from 2031 to 2036. The Government of the Russian Federation will monitor the implementation of the proposed measures.
Demographic pit
Modern Russia is one of the top ten countries in terms of population. According to a preliminary estimate by the Federal State Statistics Service, 146 million people live in the country at the beginning of 2025 (excluding new regions).
Like many other countries, Russia is in a demographic transition characterized by a decrease in the birth rate, a delay in marriage and childbearing at a later date, as well as the predominance of small and same-generation families, the strategy says. The process of natural population decline has been observed in the Russian Federation since 2017. In 2024, it amounted to 545.1 thousand people.
By 2030, according to the forecast of the statistical office, the population will decrease to 143.3 million people. And by 2036, the number of citizens will drop to 140.96 million people.
One of the main problems is the rapid decline in the number of women of reproductive age. By 2023, their number has decreased to 34.2 million people (compared to 39.4 million in 2006). The downward trend will continue until 2046, during which time the number of women of reproductive age will decrease to 27.4 million people.
At the same time, the number of women without children remains significant. 77% of Russians aged 20-24 had no children as of 2020 (1.7 million women). On average, women's first child is born at the age of 26.2 years.
The reduction in the number of women of reproductive age has exacerbated the consequences of the demographic pit of the 90s, says Nadezhda Kapustina, professor at the Department of Economic Security and Risk Management at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation. At the same time, young people today are postponing starting a family due to economic instability and housing problems. And the migration increase only partially compensates for the natural population decline.
Seniy Koval, a member of the commission of the General Council of the United Russia Party for the protection of motherhood, childhood and family support, a member of the Public Council under the Commissioner for Human Rights of the city of Moscow, is convinced that the aging of citizens also belongs to serious demographic challenges. An increase in the average age of Russians leads to a reduction in the working-age population and an increase in the burden on the pension system, she warns.
An integrated approach
Under these conditions, a sound demographic policy is becoming a priority of the state. The strategy adopted by the Government is an important step towards improving the situation in the country, said Saniy Koval.
The proposed package of measures to support families with children is determined by a holistic program and is characterized by a broad focus, says Olga Zolotareva, PhD in Economics, Director of the Center for Demography and Statistics at the Institute of Economic Strategies. In particular, financial support for large families, improved medical care and the promotion of traditional family values can play an important role in increasing the birth rate, Saniy Koval believes.
— The availability of mortgages for families with children, assistance with breastfeeding and recovery after childbirth are also significant steps, — adds Nadezhda Kapustina.
It will also be useful to assist citizens in combining family and professional fulfillment, Zolotareva believes. The experience of other countries shows that creating a favorable environment for combining parenting and a career really stimulates fertility, confirms Kapustina. Tools such as flexible working hours for parents and the availability of preschool facilities should be used throughout Russia, not just in large cities.
Obstacle course
The developed strategy will help solve demographic problems in Russia, but it will not become a panacea, warns Dmitry Zhuravlev, scientific director of the Institute of Regional Problems. Its implementation will inevitably involve certain difficulties, admits Saniy Koval. One of them is resource provision. Effective implementation of family support programs will require significant financial investments, which can be a problem with a limited budget.
According to the expert, regional differences will also play a role. The problem of fertility varies depending on the geographical area, which requires a flexible approach to each region of the country.
— There may be difficulties in changing the public consciousness. The promotion of traditional values may encounter resistance among young people focused on individualism and career," Koval predicts.
Among the obstacles in the implementation of the strategy, bureaucratic barriers in obtaining benefits can also be identified, which often alienate potential recipients from social support, and insufficiently developed mechanisms for creating jobs near the places of residence of young families, adds Nadezhda Kapustina.
It is also important that many of the measures proposed in the strategy are clearly aimed at the urban population, draws the attention of Daria Mitina, chairman of the independent trade union Novy Trud. One of the main demographic problems is related to the mass migration of the population from rural areas, caused by the fact that the quality and accessibility of social services in Russia directly depend on population density.
— The larger the settlement and the denser the population, the stronger and more expensive the social infrastructure in it. It is still not uncommon for rural areas to have no schools, social institutions, or hospitals," the Izvestia interlocutor points out.
That is why the demographic strategy should focus on equipping rural areas and small towns with social infrastructure institutions, rather than improving them in cities, Mitina is convinced.
However, new hospitals, schools, and kindergartens in small towns alone will not be enough to improve the demographic situation. It will also require the rapid development of rural areas as economic entities, Dmitry Zhuravlev clarifies.
Useful additions
There are several additional ways to expand the tools of demographic policy in Russia, says Nadezhda Kapustina. For example, tax preferences for companies that create favorable conditions for working parents could encourage businesses to invest in the social sphere. And the development of affordable rental housing would solve the problem of a "housing start" for young families.
"It is also important to improve the infrastructure of children's leisure, making Russian cities truly friendly to families with children," the expert believes.
In addition, in order to accelerate the implementation of strategic goals, the authorities should expand cooperation with NGOs and charitable foundations, said Saniya Koval. Government support should include grant financing, simplified registration procedures, and tax benefits.
"This is necessary because philanthropists and public organizations have a unique ability to respond promptly to the needs of families, providing targeted assistance where government agencies may experience restrictions," the expert explains.
Close cooperation between government agencies, business and the public will ensure the success of the implementation of the new action strategy for the implementation of family and demographic policy, the Izvestia interlocutor is convinced.
The adopted document sets the right vector for demographic policy in Russia, but its effectiveness will be determined by the state's ability to fully implement its plans and promptly adapt its policy to changing economic conditions, concludes Kapustina.
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