Russia’s Birth Rate Hits 25-Year Low Amid Population Decline and War in Ukraine

Russia’s birth rate has fallen to its lowest level since 1999, with only 599,600 children born in the first half of 2024. This 6% decrease from 2023 presents a major demographic challenge as the nation also faces rising mortality and the war in Ukraine.

Russia’s Birth Rate Drops to 25-Year Low, Posing Major Challenge Amid War and Population Decline

Official data released on September 9 indicated that Russia's birth rate was at its lowest since 1999 in the first six months of this year. The first monthly decline was observed in June when births fell below 100,000, per Reuters.

A decline in Russia's population has resulted from increasing mortality and declining pregnancies. This presents a challenge for the Kremlin as it continues to wage a protracted war in Ukraine, which Moscow initiated with a full-scale invasion in 2022.

In July, the Kremlin declared that Russia's low fertility rates were a catastrophe for the nation.

The statistics service Rosstat reported that 599,600 children were born in Russia during the first half of 2024, a 16,000 decrease from the same period in 2023 and the lowest number since 1999.

Russia’s Population Decline Worsens with Birth Rate Drop and Rising Fatalities, Kremlin Calls Crisis Catastrophic

Russian media reported that the number of infants decreased by 6% to 98,600 in June, marking the first time the figure has fallen below 100,000.

This year, the natural decline of the Russian population was accelerated, with 325,100 fatalities recorded between January and June, which is 49,000 more than the corresponding period of the previous year.

The data indicated that the population decline was somewhat mitigated by a 20.1% increase in migrants between January and June.

According to Russian state news agencies, "This is catastrophic for the future of the nation," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in July.

Nina Ostanina, the Chair of the Committee for the Protection of Families at the Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, stated to the state-owned RIA news agency that a "special demographic operation" is required to enhance the birth rate.

"We must organise ourselves and conduct another special operation," Ostanina said. "Just like a special military operation - a special demographic operation."

Moscow calls its actions in Ukraine "a special military operation," while Kyiv and its allies call it an unprovoked aggression to grab land.