Modern Russian Demographic Policy in the Field of Fertility: Results and Areas for Improvement
In recent years, Russia has been pursuing the demographic policy focused on the support of the birth of the second and more children. The paper discusses the development of this policy, assesses its effectiveness and suggests areas for improvement. It has been established that the expansion of demographic policy measures by introducing in 2011 the regional maternal capital for the birth of the third child in addition to the federal capital for the second child gave positive results. It helped extend the positive trend in the birth rate as the situation concerning the women of childbearing age began to worsen; it also helped older generations to decide in favor of having children rather than wait for better times; in addition, this policy helped extend the families through additional births, strengthen the family component of fertility, and promote reproductive attitudes of the population. In spite of the fears, the growth in the number of decisions to have children took place not only in older age cohorts. A sociological survey conducted in 2013 gives reason to hope that the small generations of those born in the 1990s and on which the prospects of fertility depend, will achieve slightly expanded reproduction. As the age structure of fertile contingents is deteriorating, it is necessary to carry on and improve demographic policy. It is necessary to preserve all the components of economic measures to support families, including childcare allowances to low-income families, and they should be extended up to the time when the child comes of age. It is necessary to widen the scope of implementation of the maternity capital. When developing the new measures of demographic policy, one should put more emphasis on the psychological measures aimed to form value orientations of the population in the area of childbearing, to improve the quality structure of fertility and strengthen the institution of family. It is necessary to reorient economic activities on second births. The general line of the demographic policy in the field of fertility is to increase self-sufficiency of families through the promotion of employment and increase in incomes from employment and development of preferential housing programs for families with children.