Birth Rate Falls to Record Low in Russia; Experts Raise Alarm

The birth rate in Russia fell to its lowest since 1999 in the first six months of 2024, according to official data. The births in June remained below 100,000 in Russia, marking their first monthly decline.

According to experts, the declining births and rising mortality is leading to decline in Russia’s population. It is a major issue for the Kremlin as it wages a protracted war in Ukraine.

In July, the Kremlin termed Russia’s low birth rates a disaster for the country.

According to data published by the statistics service Rosstat, 599,600 children were born in Russia in the first half of 2024. It is 16,000 less than the births in the same period in 2023 and the lowest since 1999.

In June, the number of births came down by 6% in Russia, to 98,600, which is the first time the number fell below 100,000, reported Russian media.

Russia recorded 325,100 deaths between January and June, or 49,000 more than in the corresponding period in 2023.

“This is catastrophic for the future of the nation,” Kremlin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in July, according to Russian state news agencies.