What one country's experiment says about attempts to boost birth rates
Summary
Hungary introduced special government programs that offered loans and financial help to couples who promised to have children, aiming to raise its low birth rate. Although this led to a small increase in births at first, the birth rate later dropped again, showing the policy had limited long-term success.Key Facts
- Hungary’s birth rate was very low, below the level needed to keep the population stable.
- The government offered interest-free loans, tax breaks, and subsidies to married couples who promised to have children.
- These benefits included help with buying bigger cars and renovating homes, but only for married, heterosexual couples with formal jobs.
- Hungary’s birth rate rose from 1.25 in 2010 to 1.59 in 2020 after the policies started.
- By 2025, the birth rate fell back to 1.31, close to where it was before the policy.
- The population decline is also due to many people leaving the country and low immigration.
- Some experts say the policies delayed a bigger drop in births but did not solve the problem.
- The government led by Viktor Orbán, who started these policies, was voted out in April 2024.
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