Money Can't Buy It

In recent years, Belarus has been steadily heading toward a demographic catastrophe.

Belarusian authorities want to solve the problem with money. Belarus is set to change its child benefit system. The amount of the benefits will be tied to wage levels. However, as a comparison of birth rates across Belarusian regions shows, demographic well-being cannot be bought with money, writes the website “Belarusians and the Market”.

The Stolin District has remained one of the leaders in Belarusian demographics for many years. In 2025, the birth rate there stood at 9.5 children per 1,000 people. The Belarusian average was only 7.5 per mille.

At the other end of the spectrum, so to speak, is the city of Minsk. In terms of absolute numbers, the capital certainly comes out on top. In 2025, 9,500 children were born in Minsk, while in the Stolin District, only 637 were born.

However, in relative terms, the capital lags behind by more than a factor of two. In 2024, the birth rate in Minsk was 5.1 per mille. In 2025, it dropped to 4.8.

At the same time, the income gap is also more than double. Only in this case, however, is it in Minsk’s favor. The average salary in Minsk is more than 4,000 rubles. In the Stolin District, the average salary was 2,236 rubles—almost one and a half times lower than the national average.

However, poverty certainly does not contribute to a higher birth rate. The districts with the lowest birth rates in Belarus are Rosson, Svisloch, and Sharkovshchyna. The birth rate there ranges from 4.2 to 5.0 per mille.

At the same time, the Rosson District holds the dubious distinction of having the fastest rate of depopulation. In 2010, it had a population of 11,500. Now, fewer than 8,000 people remain. In 2024 alone, the district’s population declined by 3 percent, and the mortality rate here is several times higher than the birth rate.

At the same time, the average salary here is only 9 rubles lower than in the Stolin District. In July, it stood at 2,225 rubles. However, as we can see, in terms of birth rate, the Rossony District is closer to Minsk, where people earn nearly twice as much.

So, based on our own experience in Belarus, we can draw an obvious conclusion: income levels do not correlate in any way with birth rates. If people are paid less, they certainly won’t start having more children because of it. But raising benefits won’t save the demographic situation either. Demographic well-being is something you can’t buy with money.

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