Political, socio-economic and demographic changes taking place in Russia have an impact on the family. Therefore, national policy should be based on a clear understanding of the nature of changes taking place in the composition of families The aim of the article is to analyze specifics and trends in the demographic structure of families. Methodological tools of the study include a systems analysis of national population censuses, which are the main sources of information on the composition of families and households. The author’s contribution to the development of this scientific-practical direction consists in building an Index of family potential. “Family potential” is defined as an integral index characterizing the features of functioning and development of families in the framework of their primary function – reproduction. An analysis of the family structure of the population of Russia shows that over the intercensal period of 1989–2010 the average household size decreased from 3.2 to 3.1 people. The vast majority of families (65%) have one child and only about 7% are considered to be families with many children. The number of married couples is decreasing, and cohabitation is becoming widespread. Simultaneously, there is a growing number of single-parent families and an increase in the proportion of extended families, which include other relatives besides couples with children (or without children). Calculations of the Index of family potential have shown that the level of family potential in the majority of Russian regions is above average (46%) and average (36%). The study confirmed the presence of strongly pronounced interregional differences in the country. The difference in the Indices of family building in 2014 amounted to 27 points. The regions that have preserved the national traditions that include the institution of the family, many children, cohabitation of several generations and other values have high indices of family potential. Such areas include North Caucasian regions. The materials of the article can be used in the development of family policy. Prospects of research include identifying factors that influence the dynamics of family structure in modern Russia, which determines the trend of demographic reproduction and the quality of human potential in the country
Keywords
family, population census, family potential, family structure