Russians say that the perfect family must have two or three children as children is the mission of marriage.
MOSCOW, July 17, 2018. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the information describing Russian opinion on how many children the families should have and why people have them.
The share of those who think that an ideal family should have three children has considerably increased (28% in 2014 vs 43% in 2018). A further 42% say that two children are enough for family happiness. This opinion is typical of persons who have two children (44%). Only 3% say that it is enough to have only one child, but this share has decreased from 10% (2014). One percent of respondents consider that family can exist without children.
More than half of Russians (54%) believe that children are the mission of marriage and they strengthen the family. Twenty-one percent of respondents think that the meaning of life is to take care of children. A further 14% say that children are important to continue the human race and to improve the demographics. Others (12%) consider that children are a support in old age. Having children is big happiness for 7% of respondents.
The main reason behind reluctance to have children is lack of money (44%). A quarter of respondents (25%) say that the absence of desire to have children is a sign of egoism. Twelve percent of respondents point to human fear of responsibility. Every tenth says that the reason might be poor health and lack of private housing (9% for each). Seven percent of respondents consider that only career-oriented persons do not want to have children. Six percent state that one must respect personal choice (to have or not to have children).
The VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on May 28-29, 2018, and involved 2,000 Russians aged 18 and over. The survey was telephone-based and carried out using stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of landline and mobile phone numbers operating in Russia. The data were weighted according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.2%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
The 2014 data are based on household surveys.
In your opinion, how many children should an ideal family have? (open-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||
| 2014 | 2018 |
One child | 10 | 3 |
Two | 53 | 42 |
Three | 28 | 43 |
Quarter | 4 | 3 |
Five | 1 | 2 |
Six or more | 1 | 1 |
None | 1 | 1 |
Don’ t know | 2 | 5 |
In your opinion, how many children should an ideal family have? (open-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||
| Respondents who have preschool children | Respondents who have school-age children | Respondents having no children |
One child | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Two | 40 | 40 | 44 |
Three | 46 | 46 | 39 |
Quarter | 3 | 3 | 4 |
Five | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Six or more | 1 | 1 | 1 |
None | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Don’t know | 4 | 5 | 6 |
In your opinion, why do people have children? (open-ended question, up to 3 answers, line-by-line answers of at least 1% of respondents, % of total respondents) | ||||
| Total respondents | Respondents who have preschool children | Respondents who have school-age children | Respondents having no children |
This is the mission of marriage; children strengthen the family; because of love; for themselves; for family reproduction | 54 | 54 | 53 | 56 |
This is the meaning of life; to love and to take care of someone | 21 | 25 | 25 | 16 |
Continuation of mankind; demographical improvement | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 |
For their own future; helpers; support in old age | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
It is big happiness | 7 | 9 | 7 | 7 |
To transfer spiritual and cultural heritage; to have a successor; to leave their mark | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 |
It is our nature; social tradition | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 |
To get maternity capital; mortgage loan | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
For the country’s future; to bring up a man of worth | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
Self-realization; to bring to life what they failed to do themselves | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
It was by accident | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
It is boring to live without children; because of loneliness | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
They just want children; they think that it is time | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Other | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Don’t know | 7 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
In your opinion, why do people refuse to have children? (open-ended question, up to 3 answers, line-by-line answers of at least 1% of respondents, % of total respondents) | ||||
| Total respondents | Respondents who have preschool children | Respondents who have school-age children | Respondents having no children |
Lack of money; it is expensive to raise a child; they do not want to spawn poverty | 44 | 43 | 43 | 44 |
Selfishness; children are a barrier to personal profit; no desire to spend money on children | 25 | 27 | 29 | 22 |
High responsibility; lack of self-confidence; fear of not being able to give good education | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 |
Poor health; alcoholism, drug addiction; low quality and expensive health services | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 |
No personal housing, high mortgage rate | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 |
Career-oriented people, career development | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 |
Personal choice; they do not want children; they live for today | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 |
They cannot have children | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
Stupid, lazy, shallow people, fringe groups | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 |
Bad economic situation, high unemployment | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
They just do not like children | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Not ready to become parents; not mature enough; no maternal instinct | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
Poor society; we go through hard times; unstable situation in the country | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
No confidence in the future | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
They do not want to marry, are afraid of divorce; no institution of family; failure to find their soul mate | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
I do not know why; everyone has a reason for that; I do not understand such people | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Education is too expensive; lack of pre-school institutions | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Poor education, low level of education, childhood trauma | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Lack of state support | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Other | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
Don’t know | 13 | 11 | 13 | 15 |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!