Moscow, 30 January 2019. PenzaNews. Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko is upset by the decline in birth rate in the Penza region.

Photo: Council.gov.ru

"Unfortunately, demographic problems remain, the natural decline of the population is growing, the number of residents of the Penza region is decreasing, and what makes me particularly upset is the birth rate. In 2012, birth rate was a record in the Penza region with 14,777 children born, but in 2017 – there is no final statistics for 2018 yet – only 11,967 babies came into the world," she said during the days of the region in the upper house of the Russian Parliament.

According to Valentina Matvienko, it is necessary to understand what exactly the problem is.

"There are objective reasons for this both in Russia as a whole and in the Penza region, but, obviously, this issue requires systemic measures," the speaker stressed.

Valentina Matvienko drew attention to the fact that certain steps in that area had already been made. She mentioned the regional law adopted in the first reading, providing for the payment of 100,000 roubles at the birth or adoption of the first-born by women under the age of 24 years.

"It is necessary to consider the effectiveness of measures to support fertility in general and, perhaps, to abandon such numerous, insignificant ones that do not have an effect," the Chairman of the Federation Council suggested.