The war is taking a toll on Russia's demography
Nina Ostanina, deputy of the Russian State Duma and head of the Family Affairs Committee, said that the "special operation" in Ukraine has a negative impact on the birth rate in Russia and the quality of life of families with children . He noted that the involvement of 300,000 conscripts and the same number of volunteers in military operations will have a negative impact on the birth rate. It is noted that in the first five months of 2024, the population of Russia decreased by 282,000 people, which is 45,000 more than in the same period last year.
According to Nina Ostanina, deputy of the Russian State Duma and head of the Family Affairs Committee, the "special operation" has a negative impact on the birth rate and the quality of life of families with children in Russia. He also noted that the birth rate in the first half of 2024 is worse than in 2023.
At a roundtable discussion on "State support for families with children in the Russian Federation: impact on the demographic situation" held in the State Duma, Ostanina noted that the demographic crisis in Russia is caused not only by domestic, but also by global problems .
"Today, we cannot remain silent as the special operation made its unpleasant contribution to the situation related to the birth rate and the quality of life of families with children. Therefore, I would like to hear proposals from experts in this field," said Ostanina.
He also noted that the mobilization and participation of male volunteers, who could become fathers, has a negative effect on the birth rate.
"The 300,000 mobilized people and the same number of volunteers are young men who are a very serious resource in terms of childbearing today, " he added.
The Deputy Speaker of the State Duma, Anna Kuznetsova, presented data at a roundtable discussion that in the first five months of 2024, the population of Russia decreased by 282,000 people, which is 45,000 more than in the same period last year. The number of children born decreased by 2.1% and amounted to 501 thousand, the birth rate was 1.4. The number of divorces exceeded the number of marriages by 3.5 percent.
Earlier, Nina Ostanina called on the Russian government to take measures to protect citizens from ex-prisoners returning after being pardoned from the war in Ukraine. Ostanina noted that many of them commit crimes again.
