The number of registered marriages in Russia dropped to a record low in 2018 with only 6.2 marriages per 1000 people. It is the lowest since the start of the 21 century.

Drop in registered marriages in Russia

The number of marriages plummeted last year by 12.7% as compared to 2017, RBC reported when 1.05 million couples tied the knot. In 2018 only 917 newlyweds signed the register.

Thus, the marriage quotient dropped to 6,2 from 7.2 the year before. Such lows in this century have been recorded in Russia only in the first year of the millennium.

Experts blame the low birth rate of early 1990s for the slump in weddings. According to Ramilya Khasanova, a scientist from the Institute of Social Analytics and Prognosis, such trend is going to continue until 2025.

Anatoly Vishnevsky, the director of the Institute of Demographics, believes that when the generation born in 2000s starts tying the knot, the marriage quotient will start showing growth. He also thinks this trend will show up from mid 2020s.

• The highest rate of marriages was recorded in 1960 (12.5).
• In 2012 there was a big jump in the MQ reaching 9.2.

The bottom has been reached or is it still falling?

Will the year 2019 beat the low of 2000 and fall below 6.2 marriages for 1000 people in Russia? If we look at the social expectations and mood, there is nothing showing it could not happen.

For instance, poverty as the most probable issue for a divorce was named by 46% of Russians in an open-ended question by WCIOM. It would be a strong warning if it was a close-ended question, but having so many people pointing out to just one problem without being prompted is even a harsher red flag.

Lowering of the standards of living in Russia could be blamed for indecisiveness of young people to enter marriages, as well as for the growing number of Russian women looking at the option of finding a partner abroad.

Women’s biological ability to give birth and raise a family offers only a short window of opportunity and if females don’t see perspectives at home, it’s only logical they seek a committed relationship elsewhere.

Read also:

• The biggest concern of Russian women seeking men for marriage
• How Russian wedding rings are worn? Big surprise
• Why Russian women stay virgins until marriage
• I love Russian statistics (but this time it’s disappointing)