Russian President Vladimir Putin is encouraging women to have more children, suggesting families should aim for as many as eight children, to address the country’s population crisis, Business Insider reports.
Speaking at the World Russian People’s Council, Putin emphasized the need to revive the tradition of large families as a solution to Russia’s declining population.
Russia has faced falling birth rates for decades, worsened by the invasion of Ukraine, where an estimated 50,000 Russian men are believed to have died in the conflict. The economic impact of the conflict has led to workforce shortages, compounding the population decline.
Putin has attempted to boost the birthrate by introducing incentives for families with children, but the impact has been limited and the demographic challenges persist, with Russia’s population lower than in 1999.
