russians Ignoring the Government’s Push for Early Marriages

In russia, there remains a persistent trend toward delaying marriage and childbirth, despite the authorities’ active calls to do the opposite. In particular, at the end of 2025, putin publicly urged russians to marry as early as possible, citing the supposed “traditions” of the peoples of the caucasus – traditions that do not correspond to reality in modern russia but are stereotypes used by the authorities.

Over the past one hundred years, the average age of first marriage in russia has risen by nearly four years. Today, men marry on average at age 27.9, and women – at 25.1. This is significantly later than at the end of the 19th century, though still earlier than in most European countries. At the same time, experts believe this figure will continue to rise, as russia is merely catching up with global trends.

Statistics show that in a number of north caucasus republics, young people marry later than the national average. One reason is simply economic: in poor regions, men often cannot afford the costs of a wedding and starting a family, which postpones marriage for years.

In general, the economic factor plays a key role. A significant portion of russia’s population lives on limited incomes, forcing young people to focus first on education and earning a living, and only later on starting a family. Under such circumstances, early marriages become the exception rather than the norm, regardless of political appeals.

The very model of family relationships is also changing. The number of unregistered partnerships is growing, as is the proportion of people who never marry at all. At the same time, an increasing number of children are being born outside of official marriage. According to the latest data, nearly one in four children in russia is born under such circumstances. This indicates that the institution of traditional marriage is gradually losing its obligatory nature.

Experts emphasize that the government’s attempts to encourage early marriages are linked not only to demographics but also to broader state interests, particularly the need for human resources. However, historical experience and current trends show that it is practically impossible to force society to marry earlier en masse without significant pressure. Instead, the reality is that russians are increasingly postponing starting a family and having children, focusing primarily on their own economic capabilities.