Russia's birth rate lowest

Russia's birth rate has reached its lowest level since 1999, with only 599,600 children born in the first half of 2024, a decline of 16,000 from the previous year. Notably, June saw fewer than 100,000 births for the first time, marking a 6% drop in newborns. This demographic crisis, compounded by a rising death toll of 325,100 in the same period, poses significant challenges for the Kremlin amid its ongoing military campaign in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the situation as 'catastrophic' for the nation's future. In response, Nina Ostanina, head of the Duma's Committee for the Protection of Families, has called for a 'special demographic operation' to address the declining birth rates, drawing parallels to military operations. The overall population decline was somewhat mitigated by a 20.1% increase in migration during the first half of the year.