Part 2/9:

Statistics reveal the urgency of the situation. In the first half of 2024, only 599,000 children were born, a decrease of 16,000 compared to the previous year, marking the lowest number of births since 1999. June's figures were particularly alarming, with the birth rate dropping below 100,000 for the first time in history. According to the CIA World Factbook, Russia's birth rate stands at an astonishingly low 8.4 births per 1,000 citizens, placing it at 209th out of 228 recorded countries. For comparison, Ukraine has the lowest birth rate globally at just 6 births per 1,000 citizens.

### Rising Death Rates and Their Consequences