Russia is in small steps edging away from the brink of a catastrophic demographic crisis. More and more women give birth to a second or third child. This is good news after decades of decreasing population in post-Soviet Russia.
Since 2008, the number of families with three children has increased with 65 percent. The number of second births increased by 45 percent.
Speaking to the State Duma recently, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin explained the increase with Russia’s political and economical stability.
“This is, of course, a reflection of people’s confidence in their own potential, their families, their country and their future, and in their government’s competence and responsibility,” President-elect Vladimir Putin said according to the transcripts posted at the government’s portal.
“In 2008-2011, over seven million children were born in Russia, making it one of the highest birth rates we’ve seen in the past few decades,” Putin said.
In February last year, the Russian government approved a national demographic program for the years 2011-2015 aimed at making an end to the decreasing population trend.
Russia’s latest census showed that the nation’s population had shrunk by 2.2 million people since 2002 and now stands at 142,9 million.
