MOSCOW (Realist English). On 17 August, First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov and Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova chaired a meeting on implementing corporate measures to support demographics.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education, regional governors and heads of major enterprises, including the state corporations Rostec and Rosatom.
Key proposals for businesses
Denis Manturov stated that the state plays a key role in demographic policy, but an active stance by employers can remove many everyday barriers for families. According to him, some enterprises are already providing:
- medical support during pregnancy;
- special working conditions;
- payments after childbirth;
- compensation for daycare costs;
- flexible conditions for returning to work;
- special housing programmes.
The First Deputy Prime Minister called for careful study and replication of this experience. In addition, he suggested that companies help create additional places in children’s infrastructure: nurseries, kindergartens, camps, after‑school groups, clubs and sports sections.
Where possible, enterprises are recommended to create childcare groups and day‑care centres directly on their premises. “This will allow employees to combine work with childcare and not force families to choose between having a child and continuing their professional careers,” Manturov concluded.
Regional practice and statistics
Tatyana Golikova reminded that the national project “Family” was launched in 2025 as part of the goals set by President Vladimir Putin. She noted that while young people today are focused on education and careers, they still cite family as their most important value.
| Indicator | Value |
| Regions that have included family support recommendations in collective agreements | 80 |
| Regions that have adopted corporate support acts | 71 |
| Number of acts adopted | 96,000 |
| Workers covered | 8 million |
| Most active regions | Tatarstan, Altai Krai, Volgograd Region |
Golikova listed corporate measures particularly important for young parents: additional days off, flexible working hours, remote work options, and short‑term childcare arrangements at enterprises.
State support measures
The Deputy Prime Minister also reminded of existing state measures:
- maternity capital;
- universal child benefit;
- annual family payment (since 1 June 2026, 1.2 million parents raising 2.7 million children have received it).
In addition, since this year, employer payments at childbirth of up to 1 million roubles have been exempt from personal income tax and social insurance contributions.
Regional initiatives
St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov announced that the city is developing a regional Demographic Standard based on the federal model and will include the principles of the “Corporate Demographic Standard” in the Tripartite Agreement between the government, employers and trade unions for 2027.
St. Petersburg is also creating a CDS rating (Corporate Demographic Support) to assess employers’ assistance to employees in family matters. Enterprises with high ratings will receive advantages in accessing city support.
Corporate kindergartens
Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov stated that Russia is working on the creation of corporate kindergartens, given the high occupancy of state preschool institutions.
Meeting outcomes
Following the meeting, the Deputy Prime Ministers instructed ministries, regions and the state corporations Rostec and Rosatom to intensify the implementation of the corporate demographic standard, promote business‑region partnerships and expand infrastructure for families with children.
Analysis: incentives and barriers
The meeting confirmed the government’s systematic approach to addressing demographic challenges: businesses have been offered a wide range of tools – from direct payments to creating kindergartens at production sites.
Already existing measures (tax exemptions for corporate payments, the annual family payment) and regional activity (96,000 acts covering 8 million workers) indicate the beginning of practical implementation of the corporate demographic standard.
However, questions remain. The creation of corporate kindergartens and day‑care centres is a costly initiative that far from all enterprises – especially small and medium‑sized businesses – will be able to implement.
Furthermore, the effectiveness of the measures will depend on employers’ willingness to voluntarily take on additional social obligations and on how actively regions stimulate businesses through tax breaks and preferences.
