Italy launches new baby bonus scheme to tackle declining birth rate
The bonus will be available to Italian citizens, citizens of other European Union member states, and legal long-term residents from non-EU countries living in Italy.
KATHMANDU: Italy has officially launched a new “baby bonus” scheme aimed at reversing the country’s rapidly declining birth rate.
The program, which began on Monday, marks the latest effort by the government to address a demographic crisis.
The Italian National Social Security Institute (INPS) announced that families of children born or adopted in 2025 will be eligible to receive a tax-free allowance of €1,000 (approximately $1,135 USD).
The bonus will be available to Italian citizens, citizens of other European Union member states, and legal long-term residents from non-EU countries living in Italy.
For the year 2025, the government has allocated a budget of €330 million for the initiative, with plans to increase the fund to €360 million in 2026.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has stated that raising the birth rate is one of her government’s top priorities.
According to Italy’s National Statistics Institute (ISTAT), the country’s fertility rate dropped to a record low of 1.18 children per woman in 2024, breaking the previous record of 1.19 set in 1995.
Both figures fall well below the replacement level of 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population.
