Data indicates divorces rising in Russia
Date
12/20/2024 2:46:23 PM
(MENAFN) Russia is experiencing an unprecedented rise in divorce rates, with eight out of ten marriages expected to end in separation in 2024, according to Elena Mikhailova, an adviser at the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM). This statistic places Russia among the top three countries globally for divorce rates.
Data from Rosstat highlights a significant decline in the number of marriages. Between January and September 2024, 689,800 couples tied the knot, a 5% decrease compared to the same period in 2023, marking the lowest September total in 18 years. Over the past decade, annual marriage numbers have consistently decreased, from 1.3 million in 2006-2013 to just 945,000 in 2023.
This drop in marriages has coincided with a sharp decline in birth rates. In 2023, Russia recorded just over 1.2 million births, the lowest number since 1999 and about one-third less than in 2014. The trend has continued into 2024, with a 3.5% drop in births in the first nine months of the year. These demographic shifts are causing increasing concern for the Russian government.
President Vladimir Putin recently labeled this demographic decline as one of the country’s "most difficult challenges," urging citizens to have larger families, reminiscent of "ancient Russia," when large families of seven or eight children were common. In response to the rising divorce rates, the State Duma has proposed legislation requiring psychological counseling for couples with children before they can finalize a divorce, though the effectiveness of such measures remains uncertain.
Other countries are facing similar challenges. In China, the number of marriages dropped from 13 million in 2013 to fewer than 7 million in 2022, while divorces surged to a record 4.7 million in 2019, a fourfold increase compared to two decades ago.
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