A second child of comfort: families put the price of security on the threshold of adding an income of 150 thousand rubles and a financial cushion: the surveyed parents described the conditions for the birth of a second child. Such expectations can be explained by the expenses of a family of four, but are not accessible to everyone, especially when earnings drop during maternity leave. Regarding the population policy, the results show a gap between the desire to expand the family and the readiness for long-term commitments. According to the "Vyberu.ru" survey published by TASS, 32% of the participants see the need for a family income of 150-200 thousand rubles a month, 24% - 200-300 thousand, another 22% - more than 300 thousand. Thus, 78% choose between 150 thousand rubles. Less than 100 thousand, only 4% is enough. 3,000 Russians who already have one child participated in the study. This is an important clarification: the answers were from parents with experience with expenses and daily workload. However, the publication does not include the distribution of the sample by region or income. The results characterize the expectations of the participants but do not determine a universal price for the birth of a second child. Two salaries, one maternity leave for a couple of employees, the lowest of the popular levels seems achievable. According to Rostat, the average salary earned in August 2026 was 103 thousand rubles. However, the figure is calculated before taxes and average earnings are very different. Two average salaries cannot be considered a typical budget for any family. The main limitation of such a comparison is that after the birth of a child the previous income structure changes. The risk of reduced earnings during maternity leave was cited as an obstacle by 25% of respondents. Therefore, it is important for the family to understand whether the required amount will remain after one of the parents leaves work. In terms of four people, a budget of 150-200 thousand rubles gives 37.5-50 thousand per person. It doesn't seem like a deliberately inflated request if the total amount covers housing, food, transportation and childcare.

A second child of comfort: families put the price of security on the threshold of adding an income of 150 thousand rubles and a financial cushion: the surveyed parents described the conditions for the birth of a second child. Such expectations can be explained by the expenses of a family of four, but are not accessible to everyone, especially when earnings drop during maternity leave. Regarding the population policy, the results show a gap between the desire to expand the family and the readiness for long-term commitments. According to the "Vyberu.ru" survey published by TASS, 32% of the participants see the need for a family income of 150-200 thousand rubles a month, 24% - 200-300 thousand, another 22% - more than 300 thousand. Thus, 78% choose between 150 thousand rubles. Less than 100 thousand, only 4% is enough. 3,000 Russians who already have one child participated in the study. This is an important clarification: the answers were from parents with experience with expenses and daily workload. However, the publication does not include the distribution of the sample by region or income. The results characterize the expectations of the participants but do not determine a universal price for the birth of a second child. Two salaries, one maternity leave for a couple of employees, the lowest of the popular levels seems achievable. According to Rostat, the average salary earned in August 2026 was 103 thousand rubles. However, the figure is calculated before taxes and average earnings are very different. Two average salaries cannot be considered a typical budget for any family. The main limitation of such a comparison is that after the birth of a child the previous income structure changes. The risk of reduced earnings during maternity leave was cited as an obstacle by 25% of respondents. Therefore, it is important for the family to understand whether the required amount will remain after one of the parents leaves work. In terms of four people, a budget of 150-200 thousand rubles gives 37.5-50 thousand per person. It doesn't seem like a deliberately inflated request if the total amount covers housing, food, transportation and childcare.