{"id":196314,"date":"2019-02-12T16:00:02","date_gmt":"2019-02-12T22:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=196314"},"modified":"2019-02-13T01:23:17","modified_gmt":"2019-02-13T07:23:17","slug":"hungary-incentives-more-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/hungary-incentives-more-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Hungary seeks to give incentives, tax breaks for having more children"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Hungary is increasing its already generous government support to families in the country in an effort to encourage a higher birth rate. The government\u2019s hope is to increase the birth rate from 1.5 to above a replacement rate of 2.1 by 2030. Some are already pointing to results: the country\u2019s birth rate has increased annually from 2011 when it hit a low of 1.23<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced a\u00a0seven-point \u201cFamily Protection Action Plan\u201d<\/a> that includes lifetime income tax breaks for women raising more than four children, state support for those buying seven-seat vehicles, favorable mortgage rates for families with multiple children, increased spending on the public healthcare system, and increased spending on preschool and kindergarten. Existing support for families in the country includes paid childcare leave, maternity support, tax benefits, and housing allowances, as well as subsidized textbooks and decreased utility costs. Orban\u2019s announcement of the new pro-family measures included sharp criticism of \u201cmixed population countries<\/a>.\u201d His concern seems to be based at least in part on a desire to prevent Christian families from becoming a minority in the country. The plan is likely to pass.<\/p>\n

READ:\u00a0Abortions drop significantly in Hungary, down almost 23% in 5 years<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

These measures are in keeping with Hungary\u2019s pro-family constitution, adopted in 2011. Article L of the Hungarian Constitution<\/a> specifically states that \u201cHungary shall encourage the commitment to have children.\u201d Last year in a conference given at the Vatican, Minister of State for Family, Youth, and International Affairs\u00a0Katalin Novak highlighted<\/a> the country\u2019s pro-family policies and discussed the downward demographic trends. \u201cA precondition of the medium and long-term social development and the sustainability of Hungary is a lasting turn in demographic trends,\u201d she stated. \u201cThe objective can be achieved with a stable, complex, targeted and flexible family policy that is capable of adapting to changing needs and conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since the implementation of the robust support for families and the adoption of the pro-life constitution, Hungary saw a 22.9% decline in abortions from 2010 to 2015<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

Just to put things in perspective- the Hungarian government has worked for years to turn around family demografics and has achieved results! https:\/\/t.co\/xIeZbdSROG<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Eduard Habsburg (@EduardHabsburg) February 11, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n