Birth Rate Dynamics in the Russian Far East under Current Pro-natalist Policy

Abstract

This article presents the analysis of current fertility trends in the Russian Far East, focusing on its constituent entities in the context of government policies aimed at stimulating birth rates and supporting families with children. It highlights a transformation in the age structure of women of childbearing age, characterized by a decline in the 25- to 34-year-old cohort, while the number of women over 40 years old is growing. The current stage of demographic development in Russia as a whole, and in the Far Eastern macroregion in particular, is characterized by a decline in the total fertility rate for second children, while the birth rate for third- and subsequent children is increasing. The Far East and its constituent entities maintain higher fertility rates compared to the Russian average, although these differences are gradually narrowing. The Republics of Buryatia and Sakha (Yakutia), Sakhalin Oblast, and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug demonstrate traditionally high fertility rates, which is due not only to the preservation of national traditions of having many children, but also to a range of measures aimed at stimulating the birth rate and supporting families with children.