Russia needs an influx of migrants to offset its declining domestic workforce, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday, emphasizing the country’s demographic challenges.
Speaking to RIA Novosti, Peskov called migration essential for Russia’s development, noting, “We live in the largest country in the world, but there aren’t that many of us.”
The comments come amid a growing focus on Russia’s population crisis. Earlier this week, the parliament passed legislation banning “child-free propaganda,” an effort aimed at encouraging higher birth rates.
Despite government incentives such as financial rewards and mortgage subsidies for large families, Russia’s birth rate remains critically low, with the fertility rate at just 1.41 births per woman—well below the replacement level of 2.0.
The Kremlin has described the population decline as “disastrous for the future of the nation.” Contributing factors include the legacy of Soviet-era demographic challenges, high COVID-19 death rates, and significant emigration, particularly during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which has seen hundreds of thousands of men leave to avoid conscription.
While migration is crucial to sustaining key economic sectors, particularly with labourers from Central Asia, anti-migrant sentiment remains widespread.
Peskov acknowledged the tension but reaffirmed the importance of migration for maintaining Russia’s economic momentum and completing development projects.
The demographic crisis continues to deepen, with Rosstat reporting a 3.4% drop in births from January to September 2024 compared to the previous year—marking the lowest birth rate since the 1990s.