Russia sees lowest birth rate in decades; June births fall below 100,000

Russia experienced its lowest birth rate since 1999 in the first six months of 2024, as reported by official data released on Monday. Births in June fell below 100,000 for the first time, marking the initial monthly drop.

The decline in Russia's population, driven by decreasing births and rising mortality, poses a significant challenge for the Kremlin as it persists in its prolonged conflict in Ukraine, which began with a full-scale invasion in 2022.

In July, the Kremlin described the country’s low birth rates as a crisis. Statistics from Rosstat indicate that Russia saw 599,600 births during the first half of 2024, a decrease of 16,000 from the same period in 2023, representing the lowest number since 1999.

Drop in birth rate in June

In June, the birth rate dropped by 6 per cent, with only 98,600 newborns recorded, the first instance of the figure falling below 100,000, according to Russian media.

The natural population decline in Russia accelerated this year, with 325,100 deaths reported from January to June, an increase of 49,000 compared to the same timeframe last year. This population decrease was partially mitigated by a 20.1 per cent rise in the number of migrants during the first half of the year, according to the data.

Russian state news agencies quoted Kremlin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as saying, “This is catastrophic for the future of the nation.”

Call for demographic initiative

Nina Ostanina, who leads the Committee for the Protection of Families in the Duma, the lower chamber of Russia’s Parliament, conveyed to the state news agency RIA that a “special demographic operation” is required to boost the birth rate.

We need to mobilise and carry out another specific operation, said Ostanina, adding that much like a special military operation, this would be a special demographic operation.

While Moscow refers to its actions in Ukraine as “a special military operation”, Kyiv and its allies describe it as an unjustified act of aggression aimed at territorial expansion.

[With agency inputs]