Family Policies in Russia : Could Efforts to Raise Fertility Rates Slow Population Aging?

Policymakers in many countries, including the Russian Federation, are attempting to encourage fertility as part of their response to the challenge of population aging. Whether pro-natalist policies will be effective depends crucially on how well they address the underlying causes of low fertility and barriers to larger family size. While in some countries in Western Europe postponing childbearing and increased childlessness seem to be driving the fertility decline, these factors do not appear to be as influential in Russia. Instead, the problem seems to be the relatively low frequency of second and higher-order births, which persists despite major changes to pro-natalist policies introduced in 2007 and the prevalence of the two-child ideal of family size. This study analyzes current and prospective fertility trends in contemporary Russia, with special attention to second-child birth dynamics and its determinants. Stable employment and accessibility of formal childcare options are found to be factors that are correlated with mothers preferences for additional children and the probability that they will have a second child. In light of this observation and international experience, a menu of policies to improve work-family balance is suggested.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Elizarov, Valeriy, Levin, Victoria
Format:	Working Paper biblioteca
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2015-09-12
Subjects:	LIVING STANDARDS, POPULATION INCREASE, UNITED NATIONS POPULATION DIVISION, CAREGIVERS, UNEMPLOYMENT RATES, REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, YOUNG ADULTHOOD, WORKFORCE, ECONOMIC GROWTH, QUALITY OF SERVICES, WORKING-AGE POPULATION, DEPENDENT CHILDREN, OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN, FIRST CHILD, HIGH DEATH RATES, FAMILY SUPPORT, HIGH BIRTH RATE, LABOR FORCE, WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE, REPLACEMENT LEVEL, FERTILITY PATTERNS, ACCESS TO CONTRACEPTIVES, HEALTH CARE, IMMIGRANTS, GENDER EQUITY, GENDER PARITY, DEMOGRAPHIC POLICIES, NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS, CHILD BIRTH, YOUNG MOTHERS, FERTILITY TRENDS, FUTURE GENERATIONS, VULNERABILITY, POPULATION SIZE, GOVERNMENT SUPPORT, POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT, OLD-AGE, LONGER LIFE, PUBLIC HEALTH, EFFECTIVE POLICIES, LIFE EXPECTANCY, DEMOGRAPHERS, PUBLIC POLICY, LABOR MARKET, MATERNITY LEAVE, FAMILY POLICIES, DECENT HEALTH CARE, NEWBORNS, GENDER GAP, TRAINING, GENDER STEREOTYPES, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, POPULATION GROWTH, POPULATION DIVISION, FERTILITY RATES, FAMILY SIZE, BABY, IDEAL NUMBER OF CHILDREN, DEMOGRAPHIC PROJECTIONS, SECONDARY SCHOOL, CITIZEN, FERTILITY RATE, BIRTH RATES, MIGRATION, EMERGENCIES, CHILDBEARING AGE, ADOPTION, HOUSEHOLD INCOME, GENDER INEQUALITIES, MEDICAL CARE, MARRIAGE, SOCIAL SECURITY, LARGER FAMILIES, DEPENDENCY RATIOS, PRIMARY SCHOOL, SUPPORT TO FAMILIES, GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, CHILD CARE, HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, ELDERLY, WORKING MOTHERS, EDUCATED WOMEN, INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS, MARKET ECONOMY, UNEMPLOYMENT, EDUCATED MOTHERS, CHILDBIRTH, DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION, HUMAN CAPITAL, INFANT, EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN, YOUNG ADULTS, POLICIES, CONTRACEPTIVES, IMMIGRATION POLICY, WOMAN, PENSIONS, SINGLE CHILD, MARRIED COUPLES, SOCIAL POLICY, REPRODUCTIVE INTENTIONS, LABOUR MARKET, GOVERNMENT OFFICES, WOMEN DURING PREGNANCY, SAFETY NET, PUBLIC AWARENESS, IMPACTS OF POPULATION, REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR, FEWER CHILDREN, GLOBAL POPULATION, EARLY CHILDHOOD, REGIONAL INITIATIVES, ENHANCING WOMEN, POPULATION RESEARCH, POPULATION CONFERENCE, IMPACT ON FERTILITY, POPULATIONS, MOTHER, YOUNG CHILDREN, CHILDBEARING, POLICY, OLDER WOMEN, REPRODUCTIVE AGE, LARGE FAMILIES, SOCIAL POLICIES, SMALLER FAMILIES, NUMBER OF WOMEN, CHILDREN PER WOMAN, SEX, FIRST BIRTH, GOVERNMENT POLICIES, MODERN CONTRACEPTIVES, PREGNANT WOMEN, PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN, WORKING CONDITIONS, WAR, TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, PARENTAL LEAVE, NUMBER OF BIRTHS, RURAL AREAS, NUMBER OF CHILDREN, FEMALE LABOR FORCE, ILLNESS, IMMIGRATION, NUMBER OF ABORTIONS, NUMBER OF DEATHS, LOWER FERTILITY, NATIONAL COUNCIL, POPULATION, DEATH RATES, MARITAL STATUS, FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES, LIVING CONDITIONS, MARRIED WOMEN, LOW FERTILITY, FERTILITY, WOMEN, NEWBORN, FERTILITY DECLINE, DEMOGRAPHIC POLICY, PREGNANCY, FIRST BIRTHS, ABORTION, DECLINE IN FERTILITY, NUMBER OF CHILDREN PER WOMAN,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/09/25045632/ http://hdl.handle.net/10986/22614
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