Some regions in Russia are now offering schoolgirls more than 100,000 roubles (around £900) to have and raise children in a surprising and controversial move. This initiative has recently expanded to ten regions. Earlier in 2025, the government had focused only on adult women. Now, it includes teenagers too.

This shift marks a significant turn in Russia’s pronatalist policy, which aims to increase birth rates.

Russia Faces a Serious Demographic Crisis

President Vladimir Putin is leading this push to tackle Russia’s declining population. In 2023, the country’s fertility rate fell to just 1.41 births per woman, far below the replacement level of 2.05.

Putin believes a large population equals national strength. He sees it as important as military power and territorial control. Ironically though, his war in Ukraine has made the population crisis worse.

An estimated 250,000 Russian soldiers have died in the war. Also, hundreds of thousands of educated young Russians have left the country. Many of them are men escaping military service—future fathers now lost to emigration.

Public Opinion Is Divided

According to a national poll by the Russian Public Opinion Research Centre, 43% of people support the policy, while 40% disapprove. Still, this policy shows just how seriously the government views the population issue.

A Global Challenge, Not Just Russia’s

Russia is not alone. Experts estimate that by 2050, more than three-quarters of the world’s countries will have fertility rates too low to sustain their populations.

Other nations are also trying to encourage childbirth.

• In Hungary, Viktor Orban’s government offers tax breaks and cheap home loans to couples with three or more children.

• In Poland, families with two or more children receive 500 złoty (£101) per child monthly.

• In the United States, Donald Trump has proposed paying women $5,000 to have a baby. He links this idea to the broader MAGA movement, supported by Elon Musk, which encourages large families.

However, experts argue these incentives don’t always work. For example, in Poland, high-income women often avoid having more children because it might hurt their careers.

Why Birth Rates Are So Hard to Raise

Experts say reversing population decline is very complex. Decisions about having children depend on many personal and social factors—like financial security, career goals, confidence in parenting, and cultural beliefs.

So far, no country has found a simple or universal solution to fix low birth rates.

Spain Chooses a Different Path: Immigration

Unlike Russia, Spain is tackling its population issue through immigration. The country now offers easier citizenship to migrants, even those who entered illegally.

This approach has helped fuel an economic boom in Madrid. Most of the new arrivals are Spanish-speaking Catholics from Latin America. However, African migrants do not receive the same opportunities, highlighting selective inclusion.

Who Are These Policies Really For?

Governments often promote childbirth only among people they see as “desirable citizens.” These preferences may relate to ethnicity, religion, income, language, or sexual orientation.

• In Hungary, only heterosexual couples with high incomes can benefit from state support.

• In Russia, the government seems to favour ethnic Russians for childbirth incentives.

• In the US, Trump’s push for more babies contrasts with his crackdown on undocumented migrants and attempts to change birthright citizenship.

So, while governments claim to want more children, they usually want them from specific groups.

Honour for Mothers, Pressure on Women

To encourage motherhood, governments often offer not just money, but also social praise.

For example, Putin brought back the Stalin-era Motherhood Medal for women who raise ten or more children. In the US, there is a growing interest in “trad wives”—women who leave their careers to raise big families and live by traditional values.

At the same time, women who delay or reject motherhood face judgment and restrictions.

• In 2024, Russia banned “child-free propaganda”—any media or speech promoting the idea of not having children.

• The country also restricted abortions in private clinics and criticized women who prioritize careers or education over family life.

A Tool for Control?

In the end, experts say that these pronatalist policies are not just about boosting population numbers. Often, they reflect governments’ efforts to control women’s choices and shape the population to match their ideological or political goals.

If the real aim was to strengthen the economy, countries would welcome immigrants. Instead, many choose to dictate who should have children—and who shouldn’t.