Specifics of demographic policy at the regional level: the case of the Republic of Tatarstan

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Introduction For two decades of the 21st century, the process of depopulation of the population has been taking place in Russia, which entails the need to realize the harmonious interaction of the reproductive interests of the family and the state. To create a favorable scenario for Russia’s demographic future, it is necessary to scientifically understand the role, directions and methods of government participation in regulating the reproductive behavior of the population. The purpose of the study is to review the state demographic policy and present its features in Tatarstan. Supporters of the active role of the state in demographic policy through stimulating fertility were such Russian scientists as V.V. Elizarov, V.N. Kuznetsov, L.L. Rybakovsky [1], who considered it possible through consistent protectionism to neutralize the prevailing low- income type of reproductive behavior. A.G. Vishnevsky [2] within the framework of the concept of birth rate modernization, he held the opinion that as a part of the demographic transition, there has been change in the birth rate model in the world, a transformation of socio- cultural regulators of procreative behavior. In any model, it is important to understand the system of determinants of reproductive behavior in order to develop an adequate demographic policy. For example, within the framework of the factor concept, B.C. Urlanis [3] identifies the conditions, factors, subfactors and causes of demographic processes. In the works of A.I. Antonov [4. P. 34] and V.A. Borisov [5. P. 183], the historical decline in the birth rate and the proportion of large families is justified by the lack of economic necessity for modern parents to have children as helpers in the household or material support in the present or future. On the contrary, each child requires more and more expenses and reduces the quality of life of the family. According to V.N. Arkhangelsky [6], the decisive role in motivating fertility should be played not by economic factors, but by value, socio- psychological and socio- cultural ones. So that, as A.I. Antonov emphasizes [7], an individual needs children to feel like a full- fledged person with a significant role and status. Results The state demographic policy is designed to address the current situation of the correlation of economic and social factors, both contributing to the birth of more children in families and preventing this. Within the framework of economic measures, it is necessary to apply a variety of continuous and targeted measures of material support for fertility and families with children. Within the framework of socio- cultural measures, it is important to form and stimulate patterns of socially acceptable reproductive behavior, the norm of childhood, the needs for children, as well as transform the entire system of value orientations based on the potential of history, ethnocultural, religious traditions of peoples, socialization mechanisms for the formation of an appropriate lifestyle [8]. This is especially important and relevant among young people [9]. Russian demographic policy has a positive experience of consistent and comprehensive application of birth control measures in the period of the 80s of the XX century. A combination of economic and social measures made it possible in the late Soviet period to achieve the highest birth rate of 1.88 children per woman from the cohorts born in the 1950s and 1960s [10]. The next stage of the national demographic policy fell on the post- Soviet period (the 90s of the XX century). Typical for this period was the postponement of the first births in young age cohorts, a change in the model of marital and reproductive behavior, and a drop in the total fertility rate to 1.17 [11]. Since the beginning of the new millennium, the birth rate in Russia has increased [12]. So, from 1999 to 2004, the number of births per thousand of the population increased by 26.5%. This was influenced by positive changes in the composition of the population by gender and age and an increase in age- related fertility rates. The result was an increase in the total fertility rate by 2004 to 1.34-1.35, which at the same time is not enough to achieve simple reproduction of the population. For population growth, it should be at the level of 2.11, which was the case only in 1988 [13]. The response to the negative trends towards depopulation was the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation “On approval of the Concept of Demographic Policy of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2025”[49]. The implementation of the concept was carried out in two stages: at the first stage (2007-2010), some positive results were achieved thanks to measures to stimulate fertility and the maternity capital program[50]. The birth rate increased for 4 consecutive years by an average of 77,000 births annually[51]. At the second stage (2011-2018), the positive results were consolidated and the program was further developed. A large family is designated as the most important value, and a family with 2-3 children is the preferred social norm, and the need to exclude a situation when the birth of a child puts the family in a difficult financial situation or on the verge of poverty is emphasized. The first decade of the 21st century in Russia was a period of economic growth and social stability, which affected the growth of the birth rate and the well- being of the family. This ensured that the post- Soviet birth rate peaked at 1.943 million children in 2014, but the birth rate has resumed falling since 2016[52][53]. National projects aimed at the formation of human capital and implemented in 2019-2024: “Healthcare”[54], “Demography”[55], “Education”[56] and “Culture”[57] have become the response to the next demographic challenge. To mobilize socio- cultural reserves to stimulate fertility, by decision of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, 2024 was declared the Family Year[58]. Since the beginning of 2025, the new National Project “Family” has been implemented[59]. Differentiated measures have been developed and applied at the regional demographic policy level, considering local specifics, family structure, and cultural traditions. While implementing the priorities of the Demographic Policy Concept, Tatarstan has demonstrated good indicators in the first decade of the 21st century: an annual increase in the birth rate and the population as a whole by 7.1 thousand people. But at the turn of the 10th and 20th years of the 21st century, the negative trend of natural population decline, aging, and reduction of labor resources recovered in the republic, as well as in Russia as a whole[60]. As part of the National Demography Project in Tatarstan, federal demographic policy measures have been supplemented by regional ones12: • compensation for parents and childcare in non- profit educational organizations, provision of infant formulas, special dairy products, and free prescription medications for children under three years of age; payment of monthly allowances for children under 16 who study in an educational organization up to 18 years of age; • payment of monthly transportation subsidies to students of general and secondary vocational education institutions up to 18 years old; a drug subsidy for children under 6 years of age, a subsidy to pay for the social standard of housing and utility costs within the republican consumption rate. Special support measures have been scheduled for large families with three or more children, and measures to specifically support the birth rate in rural settlements. Special regional demographic policy measures in Tatarstan have made it possible to achieve the following indicators. In 2023, the total fertility rate in the country was 1.41, in the Volga Federal District - 1.36, and in the region - 1.45[61]. In general, demographic indicators for the Republic of Tatarstan demonstrate its more prosperous situation, in comparison with national and regional indicators. Conclusion In order to develop further targeted measures to stimulate fertility in the region, a scientific analysis of the current demographic situation is carried out in the monitoring mode. In general, to neutralize the downward trend in the birth rate in the region, it is necessary not only to maintain the current favorable socio- economic situation, improve the quality of family life, strengthen economic measures to support families with children and material measures aimed at motivating the birth of children, access to medical care, but also to mobilize and lobby the socio- cultural component of the prestige of the family lifestyle. parenthood, the birth of children, having many children, the revival of a multi- generational family as a special ethno- cultural code of the peoples of the region.

About the authors

Aigul Z. Khuramshina

Family and Demography Center of Tatarstan Academy of Sciences; Volga Region State University of Physical Culture, Sport and Tourism

Author for correspondence.
Email: aigulsuf@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-8384-0616
SPIN-code: 4170-8961

Candidate of Sociological Sciences, Associate Professor, Leading Researcher, Director, Family and Demography Center of Tatarstan Academy of Sciences; Associate Professor of the Department of Social and Humanitarian Disciplines,Volga Region State University of Physical Culture, Sport and Tourism

20 Bauman St., Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, 420111, Russian Federation; 35 Village Universiade, Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, 420010, Russian Federation

Yulduz R. Khayrullina

Family and Demography Center of Tatarstan Academy of Sciences; Center of Advanced Economic Research of Tatarstan Academy of Sciences

Email: iouldouz@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4018-4628
SPIN-code: 6936-5671

Doctor of Sociological Sciences, Professor, Chief Researcher, Center of Advanced Economic Research of Tatarstan Academy of Sciences; Chief Researcher, Family and Demography Center of Tatarstan Academy of Sciences

20 Bauman St., Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, 420111, Russian Federation; 20 Bauman St., Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, 420111, Russian Federation

Farida T. Talibova

Family and Demography Center of Tatarstan Academy of Sciences

Email: far.galimova@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0009-0440-0187
SPIN-code: 4942-8892

Research Fellow, Family and Demography Center of Tatarstan Academy of Sciences

20 Bauman St., Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, 420111, Russian Federation

References

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