this post was submitted on 20 May 2025
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Russia has moved to classify key demographic statistics following a dramatic collapse in its birth rate, which has plunged to levels not seen since the late 18th or early 19th century, according to a leading Russian demographer.

For decades, Russia has been experiencing a plunging birth rate and population decline, which appears to have worsened amid its ongoing invasion of Ukraine—with high casualty rates and men fleeing the country to avoid being conscripted to fight.

Projections estimate that Russia's population will fall to about 132 million in the next two decades. The United Nations has predicted that in a worst-case scenario, by the start of the next century, Russia's population could almost halve to 83 million.

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[–] BlackSheep@lemmy.ca 70 points 1 day ago (6 children)

Seriously. If you are a woman, do you want to bring a child into this world?? Our climate is a disaster, and anyone who “could” do anything about it is doing everything they can to accumulate wealth at the expense of the planet. Fascism and misinformation is rampant. Geezus, people are telling Mothers that inoculations are bad. Think about that… polio vaccines that rescued generations of children from “iron lungs”, leg braces, and death. Those vaccines were developed from science. SCIENCE I’m an old lady now. If I was young and of child bearing years—I would not have children.

[–] Zealousideal_Fox_900@lemmy.dbzer0.com 23 points 23 hours ago (14 children)

As a dude, I wouldn't want to bring a kid into this shithole of a world either. Most of my generation doesn't, and I can see why.

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[–] Zenith@lemm.ee 16 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

I’m a woman, with two kids, they’re not my biological children. I never wanted to have kids but other people are having kids and I figure why not love the kids already here? There’s plenty of kids to go around there’s no need for me to personally make a kid. If the kids are already here we should do as much as we can to make their lives good but if they’re not already here it should stay that way.

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[–] rammer@sopuli.xyz 12 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Population will fall to about 132 million in the next two decades

Which means that it already is that low. If you don't count the parts of Ukraine that Russia thinks it owns and the hundreds of thousands of young people who fled the country earlier in the war.

[–] Ledericas@lemm.ee 6 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

it was 144mil a couple years ago.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 5 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

2-3 millions are dead or have fled for what I know.

But a birthrate at 1.5? That's bad news, 0.6 lower than the replacement level (2.1) so every new generation will be 30% smaller!

[–] Aux@feddit.uk 2 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Military losses are not deaths. Deaths are only a fraction of losses.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 4 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

True, but 2-3 millions have died or fled the country.

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[–] magnetosphere@fedia.io 163 points 1 day ago (16 children)

It amuses me that world leaders pretend to be surprised by declining birth rates. They know perfectly well that it’s because of their and/or their neighbors policies. The environment is being poisoned, and possibly destroyed. People are reluctant to bring a child into this world, and I think they’re right to be.

[–] JohnEdwa@sopuli.xyz 60 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

And even ones that want kids take one look at the economy and their bank accounts, and decide to wait until both look better, because they want to be able to afford the kids a happy childhood. The worst thing for population growth is giving people the ability to choose when, if ever, to get kids, and an environment they don't want to have them in.

Two ways to fix that issue. Which one is used tells a lot.

[–] Ledericas@lemm.ee 7 points 19 hours ago

almost all of them avoiding the discussion why its happening instead of trying to enact anti-abortion laws, or punishing peopel for not having children.

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[–] Randomgal@lemmy.ca 76 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Kinda rough to have babies if most of your men are being turned into fertilizer.

[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 4 points 18 hours ago

Invades the breadbasket of Europe, accidentally makes their crops even better.

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[–] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 109 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (27 children)

…Wow.

So what’s the tankie angle to this? From that perspective, the war is objectively awful for Russia, even if all the stated war goals are true.

[–] resipsaloquitur@lemm.ee 55 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (4 children)

The tankie angle is that it’s NATO’s fault. Would never have happened if mean old west hadn’t invaded Ukraine and genocided Russian-speakers who are ethnically and linguistically identical to Ukrainians but also totally different and superior but also must be defended by daddy Vladdy.

And also Ukraine is an inseparable part of Russia, especially Crimea. Khrushchev was only kidding when he gave Crimea to Ukraine, which isn’t a real country.

And the west totally broke its verbal promise that no one’s ever heard to never allow another country into NATO. But The Budapest Memorandum wasn’t worth the paper it was written on. For some reason.

You just don’t understand Russian history. Russia has a very long memory. When it comes to grievances. Theirs.

You’re just russophobic.

[–] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 15 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (1 children)

I don't think I've ever gotten one of them to even acknowledge the Budapest memorandum.

Though I do like to point out that they're the biggest western chauvinists ever if they genuinely think NATO somehow forced putin into emptying Russia's soviet stocks of vehicles and ammo in the most disastrous invasion in recent history.

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[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 17 points 1 day ago (4 children)

If AI and robots will take over so many jobs, why is a declining birthrate a bad thing, in the long term?

[–] GenosseFlosse@feddit.org 19 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Because current society is built on the assumption that around 4 workers will support 1 person with social benefits like retirement money, healtcare or unemployment benefits. Robots are already used in many factories but don't pay any of those. The robots will produce goods cheaper than humans, however corporations will own the robots, and still charge you the same price for the goods while receiving a larger margin.

[–] theolodis@feddit.org 8 points 20 hours ago

So.... you're saying that.... capitalism is the problem???

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[–] drhodl@lemmy.world 30 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Even russian women don't like russians.

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