Altai Republics Leader Orders Final Abortion Clinic to Relinquish License Amid Declining Birth Rates

The last private clinic providing abortion services in the Altai Republic of Siberia is required to relinquish its license by the end of 2025, according to regional leader Andrei Turchak, amidst state initiatives aimed at reversing a significant drop in birth rates across Russia.

«Eight out of nine private medical facilities in the Altai Republic have voluntarily stopped offering abortion services,» Turchak stated in a Telegram post.

Turchak urged the owners of Evromedtsentr to take cues from their peers and surrender their abortion license by the year’s conclusion.

He did not specify any potential repercussions for the clinic if it chooses to disregard his directive.

While abortion remains legal in Russia, the Altai region is one of over twenty regions where new regulations prohibit the «coercion» of women into terminating their pregnancies.

Public hospitals in Altai are required to provide counseling before abortions, as reported by the regional acting health minister during a government session on Tuesday.

President Vladimir Putin on Monday noted Altai as one of the areas where residents have shown a greater inclination to start families.

Currently, Russia is grappling with declining birth rates, a natural population decrease, and increasing male mortality. In 2024, the number of births in the country was 1.22 million, slightly above the historic low of 1.21 million recorded in 1999.

In response to this demographic challenge, the government has launched a variety of initiatives, such as enhancing financial support for families, imposing abortion restrictions, and advocating for «traditional values» among the youth. Despite these efforts, the declining trend continues unabated.