Finnish Christian Democrat sounds alarm over declining population

As part of the changes, the former Chairwoman of the Finnish Christian Democrats said to KD-Lehti that a proposed “baby allowance” of 1,000 Euros for each child born and child benefit models that have been used in Estonia and Hungary would be viable solutions.

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According to Räsänen, Finland can adopt similar programs to boost the nation’s birth rates. Estonia has expanded child benefits for families with multiple children. So far, the incentive has been successful. In Hungary, first-time mothers who are under 30 and have four or more children are exempted from income tax. Student loans are also forgiven if the mother is under 30 and has at least one child.

Spirit

“But if we don’t think about this only on an individual level but as a society, then I would at least like to build a Finland where there is a spirit of “more children, of course”, and we would also remember to discuss that children are a source of joy, not just a burden on the family or a pitfall in working life for women but also a social pleasure, and indeed a necessity for the continuity of our entire nation,” she said.

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However, Minister of Finance Annika Saariko says that these models should be approached with an open mind while recognising that not everyone desires children or can have children. Saariko also said to Räsänen that politicians simply “cannot order Finns to multiply.”

Decline

According to the Helsinki Times, the country experienced a slight baby boom in 2020. Still, it then regressed to its low-birthrate trend in 2021.

Immigration is expected to bring increases to its population until 2034. However, Statistics Finland predicts that the population will decline after that year, along with significant decreases after 2050.