Marital behavior of the Udmurts according to the 1994 microcensus

Abstract

The article examines the marital behavior of the Udmurts of Udmurtia according to the 1994 microcensus. It recorded the first intermediate results of radical market reforms. Traditionally, the microcensus contained a block of questions devoted to marriage, giving an idea, including about the marital behavior of the population. At the same time, this list was expanded, new marital statuses were taken into account. For the first time, unregistered marriages were recorded. Again, as during the previous microcensus, the program included a question on remarriages. For researchers, this opens up the opportunity to study marital behavior in more detail. The article lists its elements, but makes a reservation that the main attention will be focused on marital status.

Based on the unpublished data from the 1994 microcensus, the marital status of the Udmurt population is analyzed in comparison with the entire population of the Udmurt Republic. According to a number of indicators, the marital status of the Udmurts was better in 1994. For example, the proportion of married people was higher, the proportion of divorced and separated people was lower, and the Udmurts remarried less often compared to all residents of Udmurtia. However, there were more widows among the Udmurt women than among women in the republic. The reasons for this include the consequences of the Great Patriotic War that persist in older generations, as well as the increased mortality rate among Udmurt men. The data obtained indicate that registered marriage was highly valued among the Udmurts, and the proportion of cohabitation was low. The statistical data allow us to draw an unambiguous conclusion about the greater strength of the institution of marriage among the Udmurts.