Russia today faces a real demographic crisis. This is particularly amplified by the war in Ukraine. Indeed, thousands of men were deployed on the ground and some died in combat. Ultimately, this risks leading to a dramatic drop in the population.
As a result, the lower house of the Russian Parliament voted, in the first instance, against the promotion of a “child-free” lifestyle. Violators would thus be exposed to heavy sanctions as well as fines. Would be exposed, because, at this stage, the upper house of the Russian Parliament (the Senate) has not yet voted in favor of this text of law. It will be on November 20.
Moscow announces its desire to fight against the childless lifestyle
This text provides for sanctioning people who promote a way of life in which children are or would be excluded, whether in the media, films or culture in general, could have to pay a sum of 4,000 approximately euros (400,000 rubles). Russian civil servants, if they were to be affected, would have to pay even more (800,000 rubles).
Finally, companies face a fine of 5 million rubles (the equivalent of 47,000 euros). The objectives of this law? First, to protect young Russians from an ideology that the government, through Nina Ostanina, chair of the Duma’s family policy committee, describes as useless. Finally, Moscow hopes to fight more effectively against the decline in the birth rate.
The birth rate, in free fall
Indeed, despite numerous measures taken by the government, the figures are not good. The Kremlin even describes them as “catastrophic”. According to certain institutes, the Russian statistics agency (Rosstat) in particular, the fertility rate in Russia is 1.41 children per woman of childbearing age. One of the lowest figures in the region
