The birth rate in Russia grew by 5.6 percent year-on-year in 2012, Russian Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova reports.

      “In 2012, birth rate increased by 5.6 percent - from 12.6 to 13.3 [births] per 1,000 people,” she said on Friday.

      She added that the number of abortions fell by 5.5 percent, or by 53,900, due to state measures to support pregnant women living in difficult circumstances.

      About 3,000 babies were born with the aid of advanced assisted reproductive technologies, the minister said.

      However, the Health Minister finds it significant to say that birth rate forecast for Russia in 2013 is not very optimistic, as the amount of women at childbearing age goes down. According to Skvortsova, it is linked to considerable birth-rate failing in the early nineties of the previous century. The situation is much complicated by a high death rate, especially among middle-aged males. Economically active population size is also expected to go down.