Countries roll out bold incentives to reverse plummeting birth rates
Several nations are implementing incentives to boost birth rates and combat population decline. Türkiye has banned unnecessary cesarean sections and promotes natural births, while France offers cash bonuses for families with multiple children. Meanwhile, South Korea provides cash bonuses and flexible work arrangements to encourage parenthood.
Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been vocal about increasing birth rates, advocating for a minimum of three children per woman. The country is now offering loans and cash payments to families to support this initiative.
France, on the other hand, is covering fertility assessments for young people and offering cash bonuses and tax breaks to families with at least two children. In Switzerland, where the average woman has 1.29 children, below the replacement rate of 2.1, no specific incentives have been mentioned.
South Korea is tackling its low birth rate by offering cash bonuses, in-house daycare, and flexible work arrangements to encourage parenthood. Italy provides free nursery places for second children and tax breaks, but bureaucratic hurdles limit the usage of these benefits. Hungary exempts women with at least three children from income tax for life, and those with two children will start receiving this exemption next year.
These policies aim to address the strain on pension systems and labor shortages that often accompany population decline. By encouraging families to have more children, these countries hope to maintain their populations and ensure economic stability.
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