A Russian region has offered its female students under 25 years 100,000 rubles (about Rs 81,000) in exchange for giving birth to a healthy baby, The Moscow Times reported. The policy is aimed at boosting the country’s flagging birth rates. Applicable from January 1, it requires that a mother must be a full-time student at a local university or college, under 25 years old, and a resident of Karelia.
While the regional law clearly states that the policy would not apply to mothers who give birth to stillborn babies, it does not specify whether the payment is revoked if the child dies from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It also does not mention whether women who give birth to children with a disability are eligible for the money or if the authorities would help with additional payments to help with the costs of child care and postpartum recovery, the publication stated.
Karelia is not the only Russian region with such a policy. At least 11 regional governments overall reportedly pay female students for giving birth. Experts have called the move an insufficient and short-sighted tool due to the country’s lack of proper protection and ideal economic conditions for new mothers.
Russia recorded its lowest birth rate in 25 years during the first half of 2024 with just 599,600 children being born -- 16,000 lower than the same time in 2023. June also witnessed a historically low birth rate as it dipped below 100,000 for the first time ever.
“This is catastrophic for the future of the nation,” Fortune quoted Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as saying in July.
According to the publication, Russia's population has been declining from 148 million in the early 1990s to about 146 million now. Moreover, the United Nations has predicted it could crash to between 74 million and 112 million by 2100.
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