Ladies’ Opinion Study: The Influence of Retirement-Age Increase on Fertility in Russia*

Abstract

This article deals with the young women opinions about the possible impact of the retirement age raising in Russia on fertility. The aim of the research was to study the issue of how retirement time is taken into account while planning the children birth. It was hypothesized that, on the one hand, a later retirement would reduce the older generation assistance in raising children, which is a significant fertility factor in Russia. On the other hand, the extension of working life can increase the number of births by women aged 40 and older. The methodology of the study is based on a sociological survey which has been held among young women. The authors interviewed 107 respondents in Yekaterinburg megacity in total. As a result, there were determined some points, while holding the questionnaire survey, about the retirement-age increase influence on the desire of giving birth to one more baby. On the basis of the research results and the foreign experience study the authors made pilot forecasts of changes in the birth rate under the influence of the above-mentioned factor.