Russia’s Oryol Region has introduced a new decree offering schoolgirls RUB100,000 ($1,200) if they officially register a pregnancy with the social services while studying full-time.

The move, which has drawn condemnation from rights groups and social media users for promoting underage pregnancy, was signed by regional governor Andrey Klychkov to modify an earlier policy that granted the same benefit only to full-time university and vocational students. Now, teenage girls who are not yet adults and who are enrolled in general education institutions, including high schools, are also eligible. To qualify, recipients must be Russian citizens, reside in Oryol Region and not already receive similar support from other federal or regional programmes.

The policy, set to run through 2027, was described by the governor’s office as part of a wider effort to boost the birth rate and “support young families”. According to Klychkov, the measure aligns with Moscow’s initiatives to boost the birth rate and also with recommendations from Russia’s labour ministry. In a post on Telegram, he called the backlash a case of media sensationalism, and stated that more than 40 regions of Russia are also adopting similar measures.

“As for my personal view on this policy, it's important to keep in mind that young women in these situations often make difficult or questionable decisions,” he wrote. “Our job, now that it's happened, is to support them and help protect both the child's life and the mother's health. That's why I'm asking you to see this decree as another measure of social support for people going through a tough time, approved at the federal level, not as a questionable excuse for loud headlines.”

The measure comes amid a sweeping national campaign to raise Russia’s declining birth rate, which has reached a 25-year low. The Oryol region, home to fewer than 700,000 people, has seen its population shrink for more than two decades due to high mortality rates and outward migration. President Vladimir Putin has made demographic recovery a state priority, promoting large families and ordering increases to maternity support for students and low-income mothers. Simultaneously, the Kremlin has cracked down on what it labels “anti-family” ideologies, including banning so-called “childfree propaganda” and expanding restrictions on abortion access.

This latest measure to provide underage schoolgirls with cash is the first of its kind, but monetary incentives for pregnancy are not uncommon in Russia. Many of Russia’s regions offer cash to women who get pregnant, including one-time payments to pregnant full-time students at universities. Some regions offer restrictions on the payment, such that it can only be used for paying off mortgages or improving housing conditions, while others offer the cash without conditions. In two regions, this payment is more than RUB1mn ($12,000).