MOSCOW:
Russia last year recorded its highest birth rate in 25 years -- the government
has announced, buoyed that its new policies aimed at reversing a shrinking birth
rate seem to have made an impact.
"In 2007, 1,602,387 children
were born, which represents a growth of 122,750 children compared to 2006. We
have not seen such a growth in birth rate in 25 years," the Minister for Health
and Social Development, Tatyana Golikova, told Interfax agency.
"The number of children that
were born in 2007 is the highest since 1991," she added.
"This shows that the measures
taken at the governmental level were well-timed and effective," said the
minister.
The Russian
government recently put into place a series of measures destined to abate the
strong decrease in the Russian population since the collapse of the Soviet Union
in 1991.
Among these measures
are assistance amounting to USD 11,000 for mothers after their second child.
Since 1993, the country has
lost some 5.8 million inhabitants and now has a population of 142 million.
