Page 13 - bne IntelliNews Russia OUTLOOK 2025

Russia posts its lowest birth rate in 30 years
Russia’s birth rate in 2024 is projected to hit its lowest level in three decades, a demographics specialist warned, underscoring the country’s growing population crisis.
Vadim Bezverbny, a researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences, told the Eurasian News Agency that the birth rate from January to October had already fallen by 3% compared to the same period last year. “We are close to a record low. There is a likelihood that 2024 will end with the lowest figure in the last 30 years,” he said.
Russia’s population could decline by 6.2mn by 2050, Bezverbny added, citing various forecasts. The World Health Organization projects an even steeper drop to 136.1mn by mid-century, compared with 145mn this year.
The researcher called for a “systemic approach” to tackling the demographic crisis, advocating affordable housing for young families, expanded social benefits for families with children and early retirement opportunities for women with multiple children.
President Vladimir Putin last week described the demographic decline as a “key issue for Russia,” echoing Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who labelled it a “huge challenge.” While acknowledging similar trends in countries such as Japan, South Korea and Spain, Putin stressed the need for targeted domestic solutions.
According to RosStat, Russia’s state statistics agency, the population was just over 146mn at the beginning of 2023.
13 Russia OUTLOOK 2025 www.intellinews.com