Greece on Monday said it would increase child benefits to combat a fertility crisis that has seen the population decline by 3.5 percent over the past decade.
Ministers said, starting in April, an estimated 300,000 families would benefit from the initiative that applies to children born from January 1, 2023.
The one-time benefit for one child will be increased to 2,400 euros from 2,000 currently. Families with two children or more will receive up to 3,500 euros.
Conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has made population decline a top priority after winning a second four-year term in June.
The sum of 90 million euros ($98 million) will be spent over the next two years on additional family support measures, the government said.
During the near-decade economic crisis that gripped Greece, the fertility rate fell from 1.5 children per woman in 2012 to 1.3 in 2019.
Greece needs a rate of 2.1 children per woman to maintain that population at over 10.4 million.
According to a 2022 census, residents fell by 3.5 percent compared to 2011.
Around 450,000 Greeks under the age of 40 emigrated in search of better prospects during the economic crisis, which was marked by soaring youth unemployment.
Source: AFP
