What do Russians expect from the Year of the Family?

Most Russian parents want to know more about support measures for families with children and the events that are planned for implementation within the framework of the beginning of the Year of the Family. Respondents intend to participate in cultural and educational activities, and also count on priority government support for large families. These are the results of a joint study by the NAFI analytical center and the council of the Eurasian Women’s Forum. At the same time, the views of Russians with children and childless on the priority tasks of the authorities differ.

President Vladimir Putin declared 2024 the Year of the Family in Russia. The corresponding decree, signed on November 22, notes that the Year of the Family is held “in order to popularize state policy in the field of family protection and the preservation of traditional family values.” The NAFI analytical center and the council of the Eurasian Women’s Forum decided to find out what Russians think about this by surveying 1.6 thousand residents of all regions of Russia over 18 years of age in December 2023. More than half of them (59%) have heard that 2024 will be the Year of the Family. Among families with children, awareness of this is slightly higher – 62%. Awareness is also higher among Russians over 55 years of age (68%).

41% of respondents had not heard about the Year of the Family.

First of all, these are young people from 18 to 24 years old (58%), residents of the North Caucasus Federal District (58%), unemployed Russians (55%) and respondents without children (52%).

According to the majority of respondents, with the expansion of state support measures in the Year of the Family, the main recipients of additional assistance should be large families (57%) and families with a child with a disability (53%). More than a third of respondents believe that priority should also be given to young parents (41%), as well as mothers or single fathers (37%). Every fifth person says that military families need more help from the state (22%).

Those with and without children have different views on priority categories. The former believe that it is more important to provide additional assistance to families with many children, the latter to families with a disabled child. Also, Russians with families are one and a half times more likely to talk about the need to help military families (26% versus 16% among those who do not have children).

As part of the study, Russians with children were also asked what events dedicated to the Year of the Family they themselves would be interested in participating in. The majority of parents noted that they would like to have the opportunity to attend cultural and leisure events for children (concerts, theatrical performances, etc. – 61%). In second place are educational events. 46% of respondents express a request for lectures, seminars or courses for parents. The third place in the ranking of popular activities is occupied by family sporting events, sports competitions or competitions; 40% of Russians with children would potentially like to take part in them.

To a lesser extent, representatives of families with children are interested in creative competitions for families (36%), meetings with representatives of relevant government departments involved in supporting families (34%), educational events for future parents (23%).

Parents with many children are more likely than others to demonstrate interest in educational (52%) and sports (47%) events, as well as in meetings with representatives of relevant departments (41%). Parents with one or two children are more interested in attending cultural events (61%) and educational events (45%). In addition, the majority of Russians with children (88%) would like to receive the most detailed information about support measures and events dedicated to the Year of the Family.

The head of the organizing committee for the Year of the Family, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Tatyana Golikova, said that the plan for the Year of the Family will include measures to improve the health of Russians, as well as areas for education and social security. The Deputy Prime Minister recalled that the absolute priority in the Russian Federation is a traditional family with at least three children.

Galina Karelova, Chairman of the Council of the Eurasian Women’s Forum, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Federal Structure, Regional Policy, Local Government and Northern Affairs, highlighted the most important, in her opinion, results of the study: the need for information (88% of respondents are interested in receiving the most detailed information about measures support and events dedicated to the Year of the Family) and selection of recipients of new support measures. She recalled that, in the opinion of the majority, the main recipients of additional assistance should be large families (57%) and families with a child with a disability (53%). She also added that parents’ cultural preferences should guide children’s activities.

Irina Hildebrandt, director of strategic projects at the NAFI analytical center, believes that the authorities should pay attention to the peculiarities of the interest of Russians with children and, during the Year of the Family, focus on those events and support measures that Russian parents “look forward to most.”

Natalia Kostarnova