Rachel Snow, an expert from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), told a regional ministerial conference on demographic resilience in Skopje, North Macedonia, that most policies aimed at boosting birth rates are ineffective.

According to Snow, tax breaks or one-time cash payments do not lead to sustained increases in fertility. She cited South Korea, which spent $270 billion over 20 years on such incentives with almost no results.

Snow highlighted dramatic demographic shifts in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where many countries now have very low fertility rates. She noted that 63 countries and territories have already seen their populations peak and begin to decline.

Instead of focusing on pro-natalist measures, Snow urged governments to invest in human capital, improve education and healthcare, and promote a more equitable division of domestic labor between men and women. She also stressed the importance of easing immigration policies and developing elderly care systems to adapt to demographic changes.

Source: www.gazeta.uz