Modern Family of the Republic of Kalmykia: the Analysis of the Structure and the Number of Children in the Family

Abstract

The article considers the distribution of family units of the Republic of Kalmykia according to the results of the all-Russian population census - 2010. The analysis of family structure and the distribution of children within the family units  based on the results of the 2010 Population Census shows the predominance of small families in the Republic of Kalmykia and in Russia as a whole. Most families of the Russian Federation have one child (68 %), the proportion of large families is negligible (6 %). In Kalmykia, the situation is more favorable. However, the overall growth of families having one or two children is also typical for the region. One of the major problems of the Republic is a high proportion of single parenting among young families. According to the 2010 Population Census, more than a third of families (39,3 %), where parents are under 35 years, raise their children without a spouse. That is why a single-parent family has difficulties in carrying out its specific functions, one of which is reproductive. In most single-parent families there is only one child (73,7 %). The comparison of distribution of children among urban and rural families shows minor differences in family structure of Kalmykia. At the same time the spread of families having one or two children in the Republic is gaining momentum.