Putin cites South Korea's low fertility rate to deflect blame from Ukraine war

Russian President Vladimir Putin has pointed to South Korea’s ultra-low fertility rate to argue that Russia’s declining birth rate cannot be blamed primarily on its war in Ukraine, according to Russian media outlets.

Speaking at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Thursday, Putin cited South Korea and Japan as examples of countries with lower fertility rates than Russia.

"The special military operation in Ukraine, of course, has some effect, but it isn’t the reason,” Putin said, according to Meduza, a Russian news outlet. “After all, Japan doesn’t have such an operation, and neither does South Korea, yet their birth rate is lower than ours."

South Korea’s total fertility rate stood at 0.80 last year, up from a low of 0.72 in 2023. Japan’s was 1.14, its lowest on record, while Russia’s stood at around 1.37, according to official data from the respective governments.

Putin said that Russia should aim for a better number, and that his government will do everything it can to raise it. He said new incentives are needed for families and young women, along with a shift in public consciousness.

He also noted that Russia has experience in lifting its birth rate in the mid-2000s, saying, "we will definitely repeat it." Russia's rate had climbed from about 1.3 in 2006 to 1.8 in 2015, according to GIS Reports.