Regional Maternity Capital in Russia: Analysis of Differences in Terms of Provision, Size, and Target Direction

Abstract

Along with the federal demographic and family policy, the subjects of the Russian Federation are actively implementing their own regional measures to support families with children, a special place among which is occupied by regional maternity capital. The purpose of this study is to identify the specifics of the provision of regional maternity capital. In this article a brief history of the implementation of the regional maternity capital program was considered in the context of Russian demographic policy. Data on the conditions for the provision of this support measure and the size of payments have been updated to the beginning of 2024. The analysis of normative legal acts regulating the implementation of the program to provide regional maternity capital in the subjects of the Russian Federation was used as a research method. It was revealed that the rules for providing this support measure are variable and differ in many criteria: according to the birth order for whom the payment is provided, the presence or absence of a need criterion, the directions of use of funds, as well as the terms of residence in the region and the size of the regional maternity capital. Based on the analysis of regulatory legal acts, it was found that the legislative framework governing the provision of regional maternity capital continues to be improved and modified by excluding or changing additional conditions limiting the range of recipients of this support measure, such as the criterion of need, the duration of residence in the region and the one-time right to use regional maternity capital. The results obtained can be used as a material to study the effectiveness of the implementation of regional maternity capital as a measure aimed at increasing the birth rate.