MOSCOW, June 5. /TASS/. The number of children in Russian orphanages and shelters has declined from 37,000 in 2020 to 29,000 in 2024, the press service of Russia's Ministry of Education told TASS.

Earlier, Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the results of the nationwide inspection carried out to check the system of prevention of social orphanhood. According to its results, 25% of children are held in orphanages and shelters without a reason.

"The total number of orphans and children left without parental care is falling every year. At the end of 2024, their total number in Russia fell by 5% and amounted to 340,055 people (compared to 358,006 people in 2023, 375,699 - in 2022, 390,949 - in 2021, and 406,138 - in 2020)," the report says.

Of these, 307,000 children are reared in foster families (down from 364,000 people in 2020), and 29,000 children are under supervision in organizations for orphans and children without parental care (versus 37,000 in 2020). The duties of guardian or custodian were entrusted to guardianship and custody authorities to take care of 3,308 people (while in 2020, it was 4,454 people).

Russia's Ministry of Education also said that the number of identified orphans and children left without parental care is declining every year. A total of 39,583 children were identified as orphans and children left without parental care throughout Russia at the end of 2024 - this is 6% lower than at the end of 2023 (41,958 people).