Almost 100 children a day: Dagestan leads in birth rate despite overall decline

 

In the first six months of 2026, 18,103 children were born in Dagestan—an average of almost 100 newborns daily, according to Muminat Kharkharova, chief specialist for reproductive health at the republic's Ministry of Health.

At the same time, large-scale reproductive health screenings are ongoing in the region. Women and men aged 18 to 49 are eligible for free screening. Since the beginning of the year, 178,500 residents of the republic have already taken advantage of this opportunity.

According to Kharkharova, a unified monitoring system has been created to monitor the program, collecting data from medical organizations and the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund. This allows for an assessment of the effectiveness of reproductive health measures.

At the same time, doctors point out an unresolved issue. While women typically undergo the full screening, men are significantly less likely to complete the second stage of the screening. The Ministry of Health believes that male involvement remains one of the weak points in preventive efforts.

With a population of approximately 3.26 million, Dagestan is the largest republic in the North Caucasus. Despite continued natural growth, the region is also experiencing a gradual decline in the birth rate. According to the regional fertility improvement program, the total fertility rate in the republic has decreased from 1.98 in 2016 to 1.72 in 2024. However, the region remains one of the country's leaders in terms of the number of births.

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