State Pronatalist Strategies: Approaches, Practices, Problems

The article analyzes modern approaches to pronatalism as a government strategy aimed at boosting the birthrate, compares existing practices, identifies key problems and limits of pronatalist policies. The study uses Russian and international publications, reports from international organizations and statistical data provided by Rosstat. Pronatalism is analyzed in terms of its diverse implementations in Russia and other European countries, which differ in their national, religious and socio-cultural backgrounds. The authors argue that pronatalistic policies are largely influenced by value and normative changes, as well as transformations in personal and societal priorities, in which the traditional family and parenthood are no longer seen as the primary focus. These processes can be influenced through various methods, some of which have advantages but also significant drawbacks, such as replacing family values with economic considerations, increasing the burden on working women who must balance family, childcare and career, and facing ethical and psychological challenges.