As a bid to end Russia’s decreasing birth rate, the Oryol region became the first to introduce monetary benefits for schoolgirls who become mothers. Governor Andrei Klychkov launched an extension of the current program to provide rewards for childbirth to underage mothers.
Cash Incentives for Young Mothers
Earlier, the program gave at least 100,000 rubles ($1,200) to female university students who were mothers. The newly updated policy, first reported by exiled news site 7×7, includes these payments for school-age girls. Oryol is among 40 Russian regions that are now providing financial assistance to female students who become mothers.
This is part of Russia’s larger push to address an increasingly acute demographic crisis, further complicated by the conflict in Ukraine.
Russia’s Birth Rate Plunges to 25-Year Low
Russia’s birth rate has reached its lowest point in a quarter-century, while mortality rates continue to rise. Official data revealed that in the first half of 2024, 599,600 children were born—16,000 fewer than in the same period in 2023. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 49,000.
The Kremlin has referred to these numbers as “catastrophic for the future of the country.” Projections from the CIA’s World Factbook place Russia among the 40 nations with the lowest birth rates, at around 9.22 births per 1,000 individuals—ranked behind China (9.7) and the United States (12.21).
Putin’s Drive towards Traditional Values and Bigger Families
President Vladimir Putin has long been an advocate of policies to boost Russia‘s birth rate. He has consistently said that families with three or more children should become “the norm” in order to ensure the future of the country. The government has rolled out financial and social incentives to induce childbirth, while at the same time tightening restrictions on reproductive rights.
Recent law prohibited promoting “child-free” living as “extremist ideology,” prohibited “coercion” into abortion, and extended maternity leave benefits. The State Duma voted unanimously in November 2024 to prohibit what authorities define as injurious propaganda against having children.
A Controversial Solution?
Though the cash incentives seek to tackle demographic issues, others oppose that it encourages school-age pregnancies and brings up ethical and social issues. The policy has ignited controversy on reproductive rights, state intervention, and the long-term effects of rewarding childbirth at a young age.
While Russia struggles to deal with its demographic crisis, the Oryol region’s policy is a pioneering—and extremely contentious—effort to reverse the trend of falling births. Whether other regions will emulate it is uncertain.
