Twenty per cent of Russians are open to the idea of adoption
Twenty per cent of Russians are open to the idea of adoption, says a survey
25.02.2026
Article published on the ASI website
The All-Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (PORC) has published a survey on how public attitudes to adoption are changing.`
Almost a quarter of Russians are considering the possibility of adopting a child. Research carried out by the PORC last December showed that 20% of respondents are thinking about it, while 4% fully intend to do so. Sixty percent said they’re not planning to adopt, and a further 6% whose families are undecided.
The social group known as Generation Z are most likely to express a willingness to adopt, along with younger and older millennials.
According to those surveyed, the main factors that might persuade them to adopt were a stable lifestyle, financial wellbeing, the absence of biological children, or a child they know who has lost its parents, family agreement, and personal psychological readiness.
The PORC team has described the reasons for not wanting to adopt as “rational”. Age, financial constraints, life circumstances and psychological unpreparedness were the most common. Younger people most often cited the lack of a partner, while middle-aged families prioritise bringing up their own children instead.
The survey results indicate that the number of Russians who know someone within their circle who have adopted a child has risen from 23% to 36% since 2005. People are now more open about it, having moved away from the old notion of “adopting in secret”. According to experts at the PORC, this attitude is most evident in smaller towns where social ties are traditionally stronger than in big cities.
As of the beginning of this year, the federal database on orphans contained information on 29,000 children. In 2016, the figure was twice as high, i.e. over 59,000. The decline in the number of orphans is being attributed to the implementation of foster parent training programmes, State-led prevention initiatives and public campaigns to support families.
