A survey conducted in Russia has shown that the main factor influencing a decision to have a child is the ability to provide for their future needs (47%). Next in importance are accessible and high-quality healthcare (22%) and the desire to have children (22%), with government support measures ranking only fifth (15%). These are the findings of a new joint report by Yakov and Partners and Romir, The New Russian Society: Changes in Public Sentiment.
The survey was undertaken in May 2024 using the Romir Longitudinal System, a social measurement system that helps analyze public sentiment as it evolves, taking into account all the specifics and segmentation by socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle, values, and other criteria.
When answering the question “Are you planning to have a baby in the foreseeable future?” 16% of the respondents said “Yes,” and 7% admitted that they were willing to do so within the next year.
Generation Y (20–37 y.o.) respondents seem to be the most inclined to have children, while those who belong to Generation X (38–58 y.o.) are the least so. A notable pattern found by the study was that the more the respondents earn, the more they want to have children. The most dramatic increase (from 16% to 23%) in the desire to have a child is seen between those earning RUB 20,000–80,000 per month (85% of Russians fell into this category in 2023) and those making RUB 80,000–120,000 per month. When income exceeds RUB 120,000 per month, the percentage of those wanting to have children increases less significantly; however, it is still rather high (26%).
As for geography, respondents from small communities with a population of less than 100,000 are more likely to be wanting to have babies (22%). Residents of the Far Eastern Federal District show the greatest desire to have children (24%), and those of the Siberian Federal District, the least (13%).
“For all respondents, their ability to provide for the child’s needs is the main factor influencing their desire to have a baby regardless of their age, income, and place of residence. And the factors influencing a decision to have a baby are almost the same for both women and men. For respondents aged 18–19, the main factors also include the quality of education (25%) and the ability to balance work and family life (25%). For respondents living in million cities (excluding Moscow and St. Petersburg), the second most important factor is their future child’s safety (23%)”
Elena Kuznetsova, director of the Yakov and Partners Research Institute and co-author of the report
According to Inna Karaeva, Romir’s Executive Director, the survey showed that the most effective government support measures to raise birth rates include more generous parental leave policies (35%), better and more accessible healthcare (34%), and larger subsidies for families with more than one child (33%), with propaganda for large families being the least important factor (18%).
“However, the significance of factors varies for respondents in different categories. For women, factors such as more generous parental leave policies (52%) and better and more accessible healthcare (49%) are much more important than others, while for respondents aged 20–37, the main factors include better access to day care and children’s clubs (24%), and for zoomers, expansion of the mortgage program for families with small children (35%). In the federal districts with the smallest proportion of those wanting to have a baby (Southern, North Caucasian, and Siberian Federal Districts), important factors include better access to day care and children’s clubs (32%) and expansion of the mortgage program for families with small children (23%).”
Inna Karaeva, executive director of Romir
The joint study by Yakov and Partners and Romir also looked into respondents’ readiness to relocate to small towns with a population of less than 100,000. It found that the main factors influencing a decision to relocate to such communities were good urban living environment (42%), high wages (41%), and quality housing (40%). Zoomers were the most demanding respondents when asked about moving to small towns. Wealthy Russians, including those living in Moscow and St. Petersburg, said they could consider moving to a small town if they could live in a house of their own there (38%).