Prerequisites for evolution of fertility and reproductive behavior: world and Russian experience

Depopulation of the population and decrease in fertility is an urgent problem of modern Russia and the world. However, birth rate is not the main factor determining decline in country's population. At present, fertility, as a biological factor, acquires a social content and is regulated by a set of social, religious and other norms. There is an active trend of reducing the number of children in families across the world. If in 1960 a woman had an average of 5 children during her life, by 2019 the figure was half as low-2.4. The main reasons are development of the scientific and social progress, changes in the economic system, decline in mortality (including infant), women's involvement in the economy along with the spread of education for women, increasing maternal age at first birth. The countries with increasing economic and social development have faced the threat of depopulation. In Russia, as in many economically developed countries, total fertility rate is lower than the level of natural reproduction of a generation. The number of such countries has grown from 13 in 1970 to 123 in 2018, with a total population of 3.97 billion people or 51.7% of humanity. Pronatalist measures are prevailing in the Russian demographic policy. The main demographic danger for Russia is not low birth rate, but high level of mortality (including from external causes), low life expectancy (especially for men), high level of morbidity (including "social" diseases) and others. Innovative technologic development is an important factor determining the State policy along with reduction in the birth rate. The economy will not need many workers. It is necessary to strengthen automation and robotization of production facilities. Thus, the priority of the future demographic policy should not be the number of people, but the quality of human capital.