(MENAFN) Sergey Rybalchenko, who heads the Demography Commission within Russia’s Public Chamber, argued that bold measures are needed to address the ongoing population decrease. Russia’s population has fallen from 149 million in 1993 to an estimated 146 million in 2025, despite immigration and territorial expansions, including the integration of Crimea in 2014 and four Ukrainian regions in 2022. Projections from the federal statistics agency Rosstat predict the population could drop further to 138.8 million by 2046.

Rybalchenko stated that shortening the education timeline could allow young adults to reach maturity and begin families up to two years earlier. He explained that the trend of delaying marriage and childbirth is tied to extended education and post-graduate social adaptation, with many people only beginning to consider children around age 27. This, he said, is due to spending 17 years in education and another three years adjusting to adult life.

He proposed reducing the current 11-year school system to 10 years, arguing that academic outcomes would not suffer. Students finishing 10 grades have shown similar levels of knowledge to those completing 11, he claimed.

However, Russian lawmaker Vitaly Milonov criticized the idea as underdeveloped. Milonov is a vocal supporter of traditional values and an opponent of the “child-free” ideology, which was officially banned from promotion in 2024.

Russia, like many countries in East Asia, Europe, and North America, has seen a shift toward delayed parenthood. In 2023, the average age for Russian women to have their first child was 26.2, compared to 23 in 1995, according to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko.

To combat the demographic downturn, the government has implemented various initiatives, including financial support for families, efforts to reinforce traditional family values, and legislative action against ideologies seen as discouraging childbirth.

President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stressed the importance of creating supportive economic and social environments to encourage larger families and boost the national birth rate.

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