Declining Population: Russia To Refer Women Avoiding Children To Psychologists

Russia is set to refer women who say they do not want children to psychologists under new reproductive health guidelines aimed at tackling the country’s deepening demographic crisis.

The policy comes amid growing concern within the Kremlin over Russia’s declining population, a long-standing issue for President Vladimir Putin throughout his more than two decades in power. The situation has worsened in recent years, with hundreds of thousands of young men deployed to the war in Ukraine.

According to the new guidelines issued by Russia’s health ministry, doctors conducting reproductive health assessments will ask women how many children they intend to have. If a woman indicates she does not want any, medical practitioners are advised to refer her to a psychologist “to help form a positive attitude towards having children.”

Although the recommendations were approved in late February, they only gained public attention this week after being reported by state media.

Russian authorities have increasingly framed the country’s shrinking population as a national security concern. In 2024, Putin warned that Russia could face “extinction” if urgent steps were not taken to reverse declining birth rates.

The country’s fertility rate currently stands at about 1.4 children per woman — significantly below the 2.1 level widely considered necessary to maintain a stable population.

In response, Moscow has rolled out a series of pronatalist policies in recent years, including tightening abortion regulations and banning what it describes as “child-free propaganda.” At the same time, the government has promoted large families as patriotic, offering financial incentives and social benefits to encourage higher birth rates.