Key Facts

• Putin ordered the government to develop proposals for search engines to prioritize pregnancy-support websites in searches related to abortion services.
• Abortion remains legal nationally in Russia, but authorities have pressured private clinics to stop providing abortions and require waiting periods and counseling for women seeking them.
• Since 2023, at least 25 Russian regions have introduced fines for organizations or individuals found to have persuaded women to terminate pregnancies, according to Human Rights Watch.
• Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said Russia’s fertility rate was 1.352, below the 2.1 rate needed for population replacement.
• Researchers estimate that 1.19 million babies were born in Russia in 2025, the lowest number in the post-Soviet period.
• Russia launched its Family national project in 2025, combining maternity grants, subsidized mortgages and child benefits; eligible families can receive about 729,000 rubles for a first child and another 234,000 rubles after a second.
• Russia’s draft 2027 budget allocates 17.15 trillion rubles, or 35.2 percent of federal spending, to defense and 1.82 trillion rubles, or 3.7 percent, to federal healthcare.