Mihailidou: “Demographics is a marathon run at sprint pace” – Greece’s birthrate challenge

Benefits, tax incentives, and social policy at the center of strategy – warning that technology alone cannot solve the problem

Greece’s Minister of Social Cohesion and Family, Dómna Mihailidou, described the country’s demographic challenge as a “marathon that must be run at sprint pace”, stressing that addressing declining birth rates requires long-term but urgent policy action.

Her remarks highlighted that Greece, like most developed countries, is already facing a structural population decline that cannot be reversed through isolated measures.

“1.34 children per woman – a level that is not sustainable”

The minister presented key demographic indicators:

• Greece: 1.34 children per woman
• South Korea: around 0.6
• Norway / Sweden: around 1.5

She emphasized that low fertility is not a uniquely Greek issue but a wider phenomenon across advanced economies, particularly in Europe and East Asia.

Three policy pillars: cash support, taxation, and social infrastructure

According to Mihailidou, Greece’s demographic policy is built on three main axes:

• direct financial support for families (child benefits and targeted allowances)
• tax incentives linked to number of children
• strengthening social services and family support structures

“No single intervention is enough. We need a full ecosystem supporting family life,” she noted.

“The issue is not purely economic”

A key point in her intervention was that the demographic crisis cannot be explained solely through financial constraints.

She argued that:

• as household income rises, families often invest more in fewer children rather than having more
• the long-term impact of youth emigration during the financial crisis remains significant
• the gap between work and motherhood/fatherhood is gradually narrowing but still exists
• cultural and social perceptions of family life also play a major role

“Technology helps – but it is not enough”

Referring to advances in reproductive medicine, Mihailidou acknowledged that technology can extend reproductive opportunities to older ages, but warned:“We cannot assume that technology alone will solve the demographic problem.”

She stressed that a broader transformation is needed, combining policy reform, infrastructure, and social change.

European context: fragmented responsibility, missing focus

The minister also pointed out that demographic decline affects most European countries, but:

• responsibilities are spread across multiple EU commissioners
• there is no unified European demographic strategy
• policy action remains largely national

Beyond statistics: a long-term national challenge

Her overall message framed demographics as a multi-dimensional national priority, requiring sustained intervention across:

• economic policy
• labour market reforms
• family support systems
• cultural attitudes toward parenthood

The closing idea captured the urgency of the issue:A marathon that must be run at sprint pace — because time is not on Greece’s side.

Source: pagenews.gr