Hungary Offers Free IVF Procedures with Goal of 2.1 Birthrate by 2030

Starting this year, the Hungarian government is set to offer free in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures for couples wanting children in order to boost the national birthrate to 2.1 children by 2030.

The Hungarian government has taken control of six private fertility clinics and plans to purchase new buildings in order to meet demands of the estimated 150,000 couples across the country who have fertility issues but want to have children, La Croix reports.

Previously, IVF procedures were largely out of reach for many Hungarian couples due to the costs associated with the procedure, but now the pro-family government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is planning to give all couples free access.

Secretary of State for the Family Katalin Novák commented on the new measures saying: “If all couples who want a child manage to have a baby, Hungary will no longer have demographic problems.”

Hungary currently faces a demographic winter if trends are not reversed, with the population expected to decline from the current 9.7 million to six million by the year 2070.

Other nations have largely relied on mass migration to counter demographic trends and ageing populations but the Orbán government has, instead, adopted arguably the most pro-family policies in the world in order to avoid turning to migration to reverse population decline.

Among the policies adopted by the government last year has been a 30,000 euro loan to couples which is completely forgiven if they have three children. Hungary has also introduced tax breaks for families as well as extending daycare options or an allowance for elderly relatives who care for children.

Another programme will also see women with four or more children becoming exempt from income taxes for the rest of their lives.

“In our minds, immigration means surrender,” Prime Minister Orbán said last year, and added: “If we resign ourselves to the fact that we are unable to sustain ourselves even biologically, by doing so we admit that we are not important even for ourselves.”

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