In Germany, more and more families with children are approaching the poverty line. Moreover, never before has the country seen so many children living on social welfare.
What does it cost a German family to have at least one child? There is, of course, no clear answer to this question. The social status of a particular family, its needs, and the size of its regular income all play a role. But sociologists still provide an approximate estimate. According to their calculations, until a child reaches 18 years of age, an average of 370 thousand euros is spent on him or her. Another 800 euros per month is spent just on maintenance. Satisfying the offspring's 'special wishes' costs about 350 euros per month.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, children's consumer habits cost their parents 119 billion euros per year (670 euros per month per child) - that is 12% of Germans' spending. According to experts, a woman with a higher education who is forced to leave work to raise a child loses 400 thousand euros over a 10-year break. So if these losses are taken into account, the 'price' of one child increases to two thousand euros per month.
At the same time, families with children do not remain without financial support from the state. Perhaps that is why an umbrella stroller with a large hood is a common sight on almost every street. After all, the state allowance for each of the first three children is 154 euros per month. If a family has four or more children, it increases to 179 euros per month. Germany also provides such subsidies as child-raising allowance, one-time maternity benefit, subsidy for renting an apartment or house, child allowance when purchasing or building one's own housing. The state finances the upkeep of children in kindergartens, their education in schools and universities. Families with children also enjoy benefits when taxing their income. If the net income of a childless married couple after taxation is 62% of salary without deductions, then spouses with children receive 86% of gross salary.
Also, working spouses without children pay significantly higher contributions to health and pension insurance funds than families with children where only one spouse works.
However, even certain support from the state does not stimulate the birth rate in Germany. The number of German married couples who believe that investing money in children is a grave mistake continues to grow. This position bears fruit: German pension funds are empty, as are social insurance funds. And the question of who will pay pensions for today's 30- and 40-year-olds remains unanswered for now.
In terms of birth rate, Germany has slipped to 185th place in the world. And according to experts, the country can now wish for only one thing - more children. After all, without a demographic explosion, there will be neither modernization, nor scientific progress, nor economic boom. An aging society cannot keep up with the times.
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