Croatia to double newborn assistance amid birthrate decline
In response to the drop in births, Croatia's Ministry of Demography plans to, among other things, double the rate of assistance given for each newborn child and lower the retirement age for mothers according to the number of their children, reported the Index portal.
Statistical data confirms that in 2023, Croatia's birth rate continued to decline. Two thousand fewer children were born last year than in 2022, totalling just 32,047. The Croatian portal reported that this is a drop of over 5% compared to the previous year.
The government plans to double child assistance
"Although Croatia saw an increase in population by 11,079 people last year, it still does not inspire optimism," noted Index.
The first Ministry of Demography in the European Union plans to double the one-time financial assistance for a newborn child from €300 to €600 in 2025. This one-time payment will increase from approximately CAD 430 to CAD 860.
- We also propose lowering the retirement age for women by one year for each child born and increasing paternity leave for fathers, said Ivan Szipić, Croatian Minister of Demography.
The demographic crisis is among the most critical issues raised in Croatia's public debate. The problem led to the government's creation of the Ministry of Demography in April of this year. Data from Croatia's statistical office shows that the country's population began to decline in 1991 when it was 4.8 million. By 2021, the population had shrunk by around 900,000. - Jakub Bawołek
