There has been a war going on between Russia and Ukraine for the last three years. The war has had a direct impact on the lives of millions of Russian citizens. At the same time, there is often talk of a population crisis in Russia. The Putin administration is running several important schemes to stop the falling population rate in Russia. Meanwhile, the government there has started a scheme which is being discussed all over the world.
In fact, the Russian government has announced that a scheme will be run to provide cash incentives to female students studying in high schools and colleges in the country when they become pregnant (Russia Population). However, it is not confirmed whether this scheme will be run nationwide or in some areas. The government has launched such schemes in Russia’s Siberian regions such as Kemerovo, Karelia, Bryansk, Oryol, and Tomsk, The Moscow Times and Fortune report.
Where girl students studying in school or college are at least 22 weeks pregnant and are registered in a government maternity clinic, they are given a one-time cash bonus of up to 100,000 rubles (about Rs 1 lakh). Public opinion is divided on this decision of the Russian government. According to the report of news agency PTI, a survey conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center found that 43 percent of Russians support this policy, while 40 percent oppose it.
Critics argue that encouraging teenage pregnancy raises ethical concerns, while supporters see it as a necessary step to prevent population decline. Amid the Russia-Ukraine war, President Putin has made population growth a national priority. According to media reports, 2,50,000 Russian soldiers died in the Russia-Ukraine war. At the same time, millions of youth have left the country.
The population of Russia is currently around 146 million. It is worth noting that after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the population of Russia was 148 million (14.8 crores) in the early 1990s. In the year 2023, Russia’s fertility rate was only 1.41 per woman. To maintain the population level in Russia, it is 2.05.According to a Fortune report, during the first half of 2024, only 5,99,600 children were born in Russia, the lowest in 25 years. In July last year, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed concern over the country’s declining population.