printSocio-Demographic Differentiation of Fertility in Russia
Sinelnikov A.B.
Dr. Sci. (Sociol.), Prof. of the Department of Family Sociology and Demography, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia sinalexander@yandex.ru
The study was supported by a grant from the RSF, project No. 23-28-00518.
Sinelnikov A.B. Socio-Demographic Differentiation of Fertility in Russia. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2023. No 12. P. 95-107
To assess the effectiveness of demographic policy, it is necessary to analyze not only birth rates and census data, but also data from mass surveys on the distribution of the number of children among respondents belonging to different socio-demographic groups. The article analyzes mainly the data of a survey conducted by the Public Opinion Foundation in 2023. According to these data, different socio-demographic groups, which are not always taken into account by official statistics, react differently to measures to stimulate the birth rate. The average number of children and the proportion of families with three or more children are the least in large cities, slightly more in small towns, and even more in villages. The relationship between personal income and the average number of children is direct for men, and inverse for women. Differences in the average number of children between social groups of the population decrease from generation to generation. Unfortunately, in all groups, this number is not enough even to simple reproduction of population. Therefore, further changes in the socio-demographic structure of the population cannot significantly affect the birth rate, at least in the direction of its increase. When conducting sociological research on fertility problems, it is necessary to study the differences between the parents of one, two, three or more children, depending not so much on their belonging to certain socio-demographic groups, as on their lifestyle, family traditions, the nature of relations with spouses, children and parents. The set of demographic policy measures should include not only financial assistance to families with children, but also the promotion of a lifestyle based on research data characteristic of a strong family with three or more children.
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