Part 3/11:
The birth rate in Russia has not met the threshold necessary for population replacement—a total fertility rate (TFR) of approximately 2.1. Since 1988, Russia has not come close to this figure, signaling significant trouble for the nation's demographic health. The continued decline in births can be traced back to the legacy of Soviet policies, which limited access to effective contraception and facilitated high abortion rates. An American economist calculated that women in the Soviet era underwent an average of seven abortions over their lifetimes, a statistic that underscores the challenges Russian populations have encountered regarding family planning.