Impact of the Demographic Policy on Birth Rates in the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan

Introduction. The solution to the problem of ensuring demographic growth is one of the most pressing issues of the state policy. In 2007, Russia’s demographic policy was supplemented by new measures to stimulate the birth rate. The objective of this paper is to analyze the effectiveness of the demographic policy programs aimed at supporting families and natality using the case studies of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan. Materials and Methods. To identify the impact of measures to stimulate the birth rate, the method of regression analysis was used; time series based on age-specific birth rates for each age group were presented. Results. The data obtained showed that the steady trend of increasing the total fertility rate in Russia and Tatarstan since 2007 was almost completely related to the meas- ures under consideration, whereas the number of births was affected by many other factors. According to the results of the study, the impact of measures to increase the birth rate in the Republic of Tatarstan is slightly higher than in Russia as a whole. Discussion and Conclusions. State support measures reduce the costs associated with the birth of a child and can encourage women to have children, which con- firms the hypothesis of the positive impact of the state fertility policy. For a more accurate assessment of the effectiveness of the demographic policy measures, it is advisable to take into account the changing social and economic conditions of life in a region, as well as the consequences of the earlier or present-day demographic policy measures. The results of the study are of practical importance and may be used in the development of demographic policies in the country and in the region.