The number of September marriages registered in Russia dropped to an 18-year low this year, with nearly 92,000 marriages recorded — a 16% decline compared to the same period last year, according to data from the state statistics agency Rosstat.
That marks the lowest September figure since 2006 and underscores a continued downward trend in marriage rates, despite President Vladimir Putin’s appeals for women to start families earlier and have more children. September data represents the most recent marriage figures published by Rosstat.
Faced with declining birthrates and rising mortality, the Russian government has struggled to address the country’s demographic crisis. Authorities have introduced financial incentives for families and promoted what they describe as “traditional” family values.
The only other September with fewer than 100,000 marriages occurred in 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when 95,794 were registered.
In the first five months of 2024, monthly marriage figures ranged from 41,000 to 65,000, exceeding 90,000 only between June and September.
Overall, Russia recorded 689,761 marriages in the first nine months of 2024, down from 724,271 in the same period last year. In 2023, approximately 950,000 marriages were registered nationwide, with year-on-year declines observed in all regions.
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