Religious Determinant of Reproductive Intentions of Russians

Abstract

The results of the study of the influence of religiosity on the reproductive behavior of Russians, presented in the article, are based on two sociological surveys: “Selective observation of the reproductive plans of the population” conducted by Rosstat in 2012 (10 thousand people in 30 regions of Russia) and “Demographic wellbeing of the regions of Russia,” held in October 2019 - March 2020 in 10 regions (5.6 thousand people). The weight in both surveys is assessed on the basis of answers to the question of how often a person reads prayers (appeals to God with prayers). Authors also use answers to the question about what religion a person belongs to. A preliminary analysis showed that the answers to the question of whether a person considers him- or herself believer are not informative. The article analyzes religion-related differences in reproductive orientations - the desired and expected number of children; the prevalence of orientations for a large number of children; the motives for the birth of third children; and the importance of children in comparison with other life values. The link between reproductive intentions and religiosity was confirmed in defining a preferred number of children. An analysis of the perception of living conditions in terms of their impact on reproductive behavior depending on religiosity showed that both believers and non-believers are equally aware of the importance of the socio-economic conditions of family life for the realization of reproductive intentions.