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Cyprus is rolling out a new set of measures worth over €50 million to tackle its shrinking birth rate, President Nikos Christodoulides announced on Monday. The latest steps are part of a broader plan to make it easier for young people to start families and for working parents to balance jobs and childcare.
The new measures include an increase in childbirth payments—€1,000 for the first child, €1,500 for the second, and €2,000 for the third. There’s also a special monthly support of €200 for two years for mothers who have their first child before age 30. To help parents manage work and family life, a pilot program will extend the hours of nurseries and daycare centers to stay open until 7:30 p.m., and companies with over 100 employees can get funding to set up daycare facilities on-site.
For families with five or more kids, income and property restrictions will no longer apply to receive the child allowance. The government is also encouraging more people to join the workforce by offering incentives for young people, older unemployed people, and even students to take on jobs.
The president said that the government is launching these programs in response to Cyprus’s low birth rate, rising average age of first-time parents, and increasing ratio of retirees to workers. Christodoulides also noted that the first set of measures launched earlier this year has already helped many families.
Cyprus’s total funding for demographic initiatives now exceeds €100 million, reflecting what Christodoulides called a “top national priority” to stabilize the population. He expressed optimism that, with everyone working together, Cyprus can reach this ambitious goal.
With information from CNA
