ECONOMIC SITUATION OF LARGE FAMILIES IN MOSCOW AND MOSCOW REGION: A SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY

The article presents the results of a sociological study conducted in 2024 among large families in Moscow and Moscow region. The sample amounted to 253 respondents. The purpose of the study is to examine the economic situation of large families, their reproductive plans and factors influencing the decision to have children. The research material consisted of 253 questionnaires filled out by parents with many children who had at least one minor child under the age of 18 in their family at the time of the survey. The respondents' responses statistically processed for analysis. A content analysis of national and foreign publications on the research topic also conducted. Out of more than 50 publications, 15 of the most relevant to the subject of the study selected. The data analysis showed that the majority of respondents have three children, and the desired number of children in the family, given the necessary conditions, is five. However, the real plans of most families are limited to three children. The main obstacles to having more children are economic factors such as material difficulties, high credit burden, housing problems and uncertainty about the future. The survey also showed that additional measures of state support for families with children had little impact on respondents' decision to have a younger child. More than half of the respondents do not plan to have more children, and the birth of a younger child did not contribute to improving the family's standard of living, solving housing problems or receiving significant material assistance from the state. The results of the study emphasize the need to develop and implement effective measures of state support for large families aimed at improving their economic situation and creating favorable conditions for the implementation of reproductive plans (such as targeted social payments, housing and education benefits). Also authors believe that it’s important to overcome stereotypes in society and the media related to the material well-being of large families in Russia.).