Everything in the family. How the new demographic policy of the region changed the lives of Nizhny Novgorod residents.

      The Nizhny Novgorod region has become a leader in Russia in terms of the growth of the most important demographic indicator – the total fertility rate. This is the result of a unique comprehensive program launched in the region at the initiative of Governor Gleb Nikitin exactly one year ago. Let's explore how the region has become an example for the entire country and what it has changed in the lives of Nizhny Novgorod residents.

      No more procrastination.

      For a long time, birth rates in the Nizhny Novgorod region, like in the country as a whole, were declining. But since July 2025, the situation began to change. The region launched a new demographic policy and created the Institute of Demographic Development. Its specialists found out what prevents people from deciding to have children. For some, the main barrier was financial difficulties or cramped housing, for others – a lack of time, help with children, and confidence in the future.

      The result of this research in the Nizhny Novgorod region was a comprehensive family support system. It combined the regional program "Osnova," which is implemented in accordance with the objectives of the national project "Family," with new payments and digital services for parents, along with support measures from the federal "demographic menu" – services of social nannies, opportunities for renting children's equipment, and others. At the end of 2024, at the suggestion of the governor, a new profession – parent – appeared in the region, and the period from 2025 to 2030 was declared the Five-Year Family Plan.

      "As a father, I understand well: the birth of a child is always associated with confidence in the future," said Governor Gleb Nikitin. "When a family has points of support from the state and society, the step towards expanding the family becomes natural and easy. Therefore, in the Nizhny Novgorod region, we are building a balanced family support system. Essentially, we are creating conditions for parents to focus on what matters most: raising children and strengthening family ties. The region does not follow foreign templates but designs its own path."

      The support measures have become unprecedented on a national scale. The parental basic income "Osnova" of at least 1 million rubles, taking into account the federal maternity capital, is provided for each born or adopted child. No other region offers such an amount!

      Taking "Osnova" as a basis.

      The results of Governor Gleb Nikitin's strategy did not take long to manifest – the number of second and third births in the region increased, and the interval between the birth of the first and second child in families decreased.

      And this is not just statistics – behind it are stories of happy families who now have new opportunities.

      Maxim and Tatyana Belov from the village of Krasnaya Sloboda in the Bor district decided to have a second child thanks to regional support. When applying for the parental basic income for the second child, they chose monthly payments for three years. In the future, they want to spend this money on paying off their mortgage or buying a new car.

      Evgenia and Vladislav Podnozov from Balakhna are raising three boys – nine-year-old Ignat, five-year-old Matvey, and six-month-old Miron. And although the couple also chose monthly payments, they are saving money for a big goal: expanding their housing and arranging separate rooms for each child. They also dream of having a daughter.

      By the way, unlike support measures in other regions, the parental basic income "Osnova" does not depend on the family's income level and is not taken into account when calculating the unified benefit.

      What a gift!

      In addition to the parental income, each family receives an electronic certificate "Gift for the Newborn" worth 20,000 rubles for purchasing children's goods on the marketplace. More than 600 items from 19 Nizhny Novgorod manufacturers are included – from diapers and clothing to strollers and cribs.

      This is also an important support. As a result, thanks to the support measures, young parents are able to solve many different tasks. Alena Klinova, a mother of many children from Dzerzhinsk, bought children's goods for her ten-month-old son Lev and planned to move to a three-room apartment. There are three more preschoolers in the family – five-year-old Maxim and three-year-old twins Timofey and Saveliy. Expanding their living space will help them accommodate comfortably in different rooms.

      Ekaterina and Sergey Antonov from Nizhny Novgorod, who are raising four children, also benefited from the regional program to cope with their increased needs. The couple applied for the "Gift for the Newborn" and the monthly "parent salary." The money became a support in solving many issues: from buying "that very" snowsuit for their little girl to accumulating a budget for long-term goals.

      As of June 15, 2026, regional payments have been received by 16,849 families.

      For happy motherhood

      The region's demographic policy does not stop at payments. The program provides assistance for various categories of residents: pregnant women who do not rule out the possibility of abortion, future mothers in difficult life situations, young families, as well as couples experiencing a crisis in their relationship. For this purpose, the region has a portal "Sokhrani.rf," a hotline for scheduling appointments with psychologists, and an anonymous chat-bot for consultations on various life situations.

      As a result, in 2025, the number of abortions decreased by 31% compared to the previous year. Only in February 2026, 28.46% of women refused to terminate their pregnancies after consulting with a specialist.

      And for those who only dream of becoming parents and are going through a longer journey, the region offers free reproductive screening and preparation for the IVF program – one of the methods that helps people with infertility conceive a child.

      The number of places for IVF procedures has increased to 3,198 – of which 2,288 are funded by the federal budget, and 910 by the regional budget. Thanks to this, today there are no queues for IVF in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

      Wow, parents!

      One of the unique initiatives has been innovative digital services. For example, the "Calculator of Social Support Measures" allows families to determine what assistance and benefits they can apply for based on their specific circumstances. It already includes 212 support measures – 47 federal, 69 regional, and 96 municipal.

      There is also a mobile application "Wow, Parents!" – for emotional support for future mothers, and "Family Navigator" – a map of active recreation areas for families with children.

      In August 2025, the region also adopted a law providing the status of "responsible business" for companies that offer their employees payments upon the birth of a child, the option to work remotely or in a hybrid mode, paid time off, and preferential medical care.

      "Many Nizhny Novgorod solutions are already attracting interest at the federal level. At the request of Governor Gleb Nikitin, together with the expert community, we are discussing the formation of a kind of Nizhny Novgorod standard for the family environment – a system of guidelines for all areas of life in the region. Our task is to ensure that family interests are taken into account when making decisions in education, healthcare, urban planning, social and personnel policies of enterprises," notes Russian Senator Olga Shchetinina.

      The experience of the Nizhny Novgorod region lays the foundation for the future national standard – it is a model that the country can look to. But the main thing is that we will have even more happy families and children in our region.

      By the way.

      The parental income "Osnova" can be received as a regular "parent salary" for three years, a targeted amount, or a combination of the two options.

      For the first child – 10,000 rubles per month for three years.

      For the second – at choice: 22,222 rubles per month or part of the money at once, with the rest monthly.

      For the third – 30,000 rubles per month or a combination of a one-time payment and monthly accruals.

      For the fourth and subsequent children – 30,000 rubles per month or a one-time payment of 1 million rubles.

      At the same time, the monthly "parent salary" can be spent on both everyday tasks and significant steps: housing, a car, a mortgage, or children's education.

      Read more about the support measures by scanning this QR code.

      Figure.

      17,479 families from July 2025 to June 15, 2026, have applied for the "Gift for the Newborn."

      Alina Malinina.

      In the photo: 1. The Antonov family. 2. The Belov family.