Russia to Refer Women Who Reject Motherhood to Psychologists Under New Birth Rate Policy

Russia is set to refer women who say they do not want children to psychologists under newly introduced reproductive health guidelines, part of a broader state effort to confront the country’s deepening demographic crisis.

The updated recommendations from Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation instruct doctors conducting reproductive health assessments to ask women how many children they plan to have. If a woman responds that she wants no children, medical personnel are advised to recommend a consultation with a psychologist aimed at encouraging what officials describe as a more positive attitude toward motherhood.

The guidelines, approved in late February and reported by state media this week, come as Vladimir Putin continues to frame population decline as one of the country’s most urgent national challenges.

Russia has faced years of falling birth rates, now estimated at roughly 1.4 children per woman — well below the 2.1 level demographers consider necessary for long-term population stability.

The situation has become even more pressing amid the human cost of the war in Ukraine, where hundreds of thousands of mostly young men have been mobilized or sent to the front.

President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly warned that without stronger population growth, the country risks severe long-term decline, even describing the issue in 2024 as a threat to national survival.

In recent years, authorities have introduced tighter abortion restrictions, criminalized what they call “child-free propaganda,” and expanded incentives for larger families.

Households with multiple children are increasingly promoted as symbols of patriotism and are offered financial support, housing benefits, and other state-backed incentives.

The new policy reflects a wider effort by the government to influence reproductive choices as it seeks to reverse one of the most serious demographic declines in modern Russian history.