Poll: Russian Parents Hope to Raise Doctors, Not Priests

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – June 2, 2015)

Despite the fact that a significant majority of the population identifies as Orthodox Christian, fewer than 1 percent of Russians wish to see their children or grandchildren grow up to be priests, according a survey conducted by independent pollster the Levada Center.

Similar polls conducted by the Levada Center over the past 11 years reveal that priesthood has long been an unpopular option among doting parents, never during that period having appealed to more than 1 percent of respondents. Meanwhile, a December 2013 poll found that 68 percent of the population identifies as Russian Orthodox Christian.

The latest poll found that most Russians would prefer for their children or grandchildren to become doctors (18 percent). According to statistics cited last October by Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova, doctors earned about 143 percent more than the average Russian in the first half of last year, RIA Novosti reported at the time.

Sixteen percent hope their offspring will pursue financial professions, such as law, economics or finance (16 percent). Ten percent of respondents voiced hope their kids or grandkids would become bank directors, while 13 percent want their children to become entrepreneurs or go into business.

At the other end of the scale, just 1 percent of those polled by Levada said they wished their little ones would become farmers, and 3 percent voiced hope that their kids and grandkids would become schoolteachers.

A mere 4 percent said they hoped their spawn would become politicians or government ministers.

The poll was conducted between May 22-25 among 800 adults in 46 different Russian regions, with a margin of error no greater than 4.1 percent.