Putin says that every government decision, new law, new initiative must be taken while considering the highest national priority -- increasing natural population growth.
Putin now discussing the problem of nursery schools, saying that many of the ones that have been created in recent years have not yet been accredited and are not functioning.
Putin says low incomes are "a direct threat" to national population growth. Says incomes are low even in cases where both members of a couple work. Says subsidies for a second child have been expanded and now many regions are giving additional subsidies for a third child.
Says that at present subsidies for children end when a child turns three, which creates serious problems for many families. He proposes continuing subsidies until a child is eight years old.
Putin cites the population's need for changes, something that has been borne out in polls nationwide since 2018. The speech was billed prior to today as having a focus on domestic problems, an apparent bid to address that demand for change at home.
- By Mike Eckel
Putin's early emphasis on demographics and population growth comes about a month after Russia's state statistics agency released a sobering new report that documented continuing declines in the country's population.
It also made some sobering projections for the country's population growth stretching out for the next two decades.
One of Putin's first acts of the new year was to increase the amount of money that families with more than two children receive, as a subsidy known as "maternal capital."
Read more about Russia's population problem here.
Putin notes that increasing family subsidies will entail serious budgetary reforms and urges the government to undertake that work immediately.
Putin begins discussing a pilot project called "social contract" that provides assistance to low-income families. Says the project has not shown significant results and should be modified and expanded.
Promises to extend the "maternal capital" program, which is set to expire at the end of this year.