This Russian City Offers Rs 1 Lakh To School Girls For Having Children

To boost its declining birth rates, the Oryol region in western Russia has announced that schoolgirls will receive about $1,200 (Rs 1.02 lakh) in cash to have children, the New York Post reported

About 320 km south of Moscow, Oryol has experienced a population slump of over 8,000 people in the past few years. And it has now become the first Russian city to give away cash for teenage pregnancy.

There is no minimum age requirement for pregnant girls to enroll in this scheme. Teenage girls, more than 12 weeks pregnant, will be eligible for a one-off payout of 100,000 Russian rubles, equivalent to over Rs 100,000.

Oryol is already among 40 regions in Russia offering compensation to pregnant university students. In a statement posted to the city's official website, Governor Andrei Klychkov expanded the program to include school-age girls.

"On Amending the Decree of the Governor of the Oryol Region dated December 12, 2024, No. 717 'On Establishing a One-Time Cash Payment upon Registration for Pregnancy for Women Studying Full-Time, Residing in the Territory of Oryol Region, in 2025-2027,'" the statement read.

It added, "The amendment to the bill extends the payments to girls in full-time education in general education organizations, professional educational organizations, and higher education organizations."

The measure comes on the heels of Russia's war with Ukraine, where the country has hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

In an effort to increase birth rates, President Vladimir Putin has said that having three or more children should become "the norm."

Reproductive rights in Russia are also under scrutiny. To encourage childbearing, Russian authorities have prohibited "coercion" into getting an abortion, have banned "child-free" lives as "extremist ideology," and increased maternity benefits.

Official data shows Russia's birth rate has fallen to a 25-year low, while the country's death rates are still on the rise. It's predicted the country's current 144 million population could dwindle to 130 million by 2050.