[InTime News]
Greece’s demographic crisis remains a political flashpoint as the government prepares to unveil new family benefits at the Thessaloniki International Fair. The measures, aimed at encouraging childbirth, build on existing subsidies: a birth grant now at €2,400 for a first child and rising to €3,500 for the fourth, plus monthly allowances up to €140 per child based on income.
Yet high childbirth costs, dominated by widespread cesarean sections, undermine incentives. Cesareans account for 50-65% of births in Greece, well above Europe’s 25.7% average, with prices climbing to €6,200 in private clinics. In vitro fertilization adds further strain, costing around €7,200 per cycle.
Experts say social and medical factors deter families more than finances. “Cesarean is surgery; a woman often waits two years to try again,” said a midwife. Evangelia Dimopoulou, head of the Evdokia Association, urged more midwives and maternity support. “It’s not about subsidies,” she said. “Motherhood must regain its meaning.”