The Phenomenon of Childlessness in Russia

Over the past 200 years, the birthrate in our country has undergone major changes. As a result, the study of the childless as a population group is of considerable interest to researchers. The aim of this work is to study female childlessness as a social phenomenon, and the causes and conditions of its dissemination in Russian society. Thanks to the works of social historians, medical doctors, and demographers, the essence of the phenomenon of childlessness in Russia has been described. Using the 2002 and 2010 censuses, we have traced the evolution of the percentage of the childless among women of different ages and generations. Analysis has shown that such women have always existed, but their number has changed, as have society’s attitudes toward them and the reasons for childlessness. In any generation, in different epochs failure to marry was the main reason, but the role of this factor has varied throughout demographic history. The problem of female childlessness in modem Russia has been tending to increase, particularly in urban areas. We also found a regional differentiation in the level of childlessness, which once again demonstrates the diversification of its causes and effects. In the second half of the twentieth century, the influence of demographic factors (war, famine, social and economic turmoil) on the level of childlessness was virtually eliminated. The development of reproductive medicine, gynecology, and effective infertility treatment increased the number of women who were able to give birth to children. At the present stage, the number of the voluntarily childless has increased, which may reflect both a temporary and final individual choice.