Researcher: Decline in Births Caused by Economic Uncertainty
The number of births this year will likely stay below 15,000, which is around 1,000 less than recorded in the last four years.
According to Mare Ainsaar, senior researcher in social sciences at the University of Tartu, many young people feel uncertainty about their financial situation, which could be one of the reasons for the decline in the number of births.
Young families often face the difficulty of finding suitable accommodation, said Ainsaar. "Although [real estate] prices are currently not the highest, young families often lack initial capital to move from their so-called bachelor apartments to their dream family home,” Ainsaar told Postimees.
In addition, many potential parents have left Estonia to live and work abroad, said Ainsaar, adding that the nation’s current family policy does not give any encouraging signals, as it seems that the state is looking for ways to cut subsides.
For example, by reducing the revenue base of municipal governments, the state is putting at risk the local support that families and children need, said Ainsaar.
Ingrid Teesalu