MAP Forum

Between February and May 2025, more than 10 Russian regions introduced one-time payments for pregnant schoolgirls, ostensibly to support young mothers and boost demographic growth. But the policy has drawn a mixed response from both the public and government officials. The independent outlet Glasnaya examined how common teenage pregnancy is in Russia and spoke to a demographer, psychologist, doctor, and a historian to better understand what impact the policy might have and why it makes many people deeply uneasy. Meduza shares an abridged translation of the outlet’s reporting.

More than 10 Russian regions are now providing one-time payments of 100,000 rubles (about $1,300) to pregnant schoolgirls who register with state-run maternity clinics. New government decrees formalizing the payments have been issued in the Oryol, Kemerovo, Yaroslavl, Voronezh, Tver, Kaluga, Kaliningrad, and Leningrad regions, as well as in the Chuvash Republic and the Altai Krai. In the Bryansk region, pregnant students will receive 150,000 rubles (about $1,900). Another four regions have introduced similar payments for students in vocational schools that accept applicants after ninth grade.