Switzerland proposes tax relief and cash aid to boost birth rate

Switzerland is confronting a sustained decline in births, with the fertility rate at about 1.29 children per woman. In a public debate organised by the newspaper 20 Minuten, several family‑policy measures were discussed. Proposals include tax breaks for households with three or more children, increased financial assistance for parents, and a monthly cash benefit of 1,000 Swiss francs per child. Additional suggestions call for more affordable housing, longer parental leave and greater work‑time flexibility to help parents combine work and family life.

The aim of these measures is to make having children financially and socially less burdensome, countering a broader European trend of falling birth rates.