The birth rate was included for the first time in assessing the effectiveness of Russian governors
The effectiveness of the work of regional authorities in Russia will begin to be evaluated taking into account automated data on the birth rate in each region. This is evidenced by the draft government resolution on the methodology for evaluating the activities of high-ranking officials and the executive power, rosZMI reports.
For the first time, the key performance indicators (KPI) of the governors include the total birth rate (TFR), the publication notes. Previously, such indicators included only population size and life expectancy, which remain on the list.
The NRC reflects the average number of children that one woman can give birth to during the reproductive period (15–49 years), provided that the existing fertility rate for each age is maintained.
In 2025, the Russian authorities plan to use various methods to stimulate the birth rate, in particular by restricting abortions. The Russian Orthodox Church proposed to install advertising billboards in cities with information on the number of newborns for the past day and congratulations to parents. The governor of the Kurgan region, Vadym Shumkov, called the birth of children a “national idea”.
Demographer Oleksiy Raksha believes that the situation with childlessness in Russia is “comparatively not bad”. According to him, Russia has one of the highest rates of families with four children among developed countries, and the childlessness rate among 30-year-olds (17%) is lower than in Europe. He believes that it is necessary to stimulate the birth of second and subsequent children through a more even distribution of income and improved access to kindergartens.
