Will Hungary's Pro-family Agenda Succeed?

Now in its 14^th year, Hungary's policy of encouraging marriage and child-bearing continues, and is expanding.

With a lifelong exemption from income taxes recently extended for mothers who bear four children to those who bear three, as well as benefits such as a housing subsidy and funds for a "seven-seater automobile," Hungary's pro-family agenda has won high praise from such international figures as Pope Francis and Vice President JD Vance.

But the question is whether the pro-family agenda enacted under Prime Minister Viktor Orban will work in the long run. 

Will it bring Hungary's replacement rate for citizens who die or leave the country up to what is called "the magic number" — a fertility rate of 2.1 births per woman, or enough to maintain the Hungarian population without immigration, by 2030?

To be sure, no country in Europe has yet reached "the magic 2.1." The fertility rate for Hungary in 2024 was 1.548 births per woman from 1.540 births per woman in 2023.

But Hungarian Secretary of State Zsofia Koncz said she is confident this figure will grow at a higher rate in future years.

"We have created a family agenda," she told Newsmax during a recent visit to Washington, D.C. "We've had great achievements and marriages increased by 30% and divorces declined by 30% since the introduction of more than 30 pro-family polices. We just started to launch different measures."

Along with the policies that will take an estimated 5 million mothers off the tax rolls by 2029, said Koncz, "we have introduced a very generous benefit of paid child care under which the mother will earn 100% of her previous salary [when working] for three years under parental leave."

She added that Orban recently announced that new mothers will be exempted from income tax during the first six months after bearing a child — meaning that mothers will earn more during that six months than had they not had a child.

"And we have the most popular subsidy — the baby-expecting subsidy, mentioned by JD Vance," Koncz said. "Young couples who are married can apply for this loan, 29,000 euros. Within five years, if one child is born, there is suspension of repayment of the loan for three years. And it will stay interest-free for the rest of loan. 

"When a second child is born, another three-year suspension of repayment and 30% of debt is waived. After third child, the entire loan is waived."

More than 50% who benefit from the baby-expecting subsidy, the cabinet secretary explained, "use it for creating a house. The housing question is a most important question before having a baby. That's why we introduced the baby expecting subsidy, a family housing subsidy, and a rural family housing subsidy."

With roughly 5% of Hungary gross domestic product spent on the family agenda — or more than twice that spent on defense — Koncz also noted that "the kindergarten is free in Hungary. We are building thousands of nurseries. And we have counseling nurses based on a practice of 110 years ago. A nurse visits mothers during pregnancy and counsels them. Until [the mother] reaches the age of 40, the nurse visits the family."

Koncz has confidence that Hungary will achieve its goal of a 2.1 fertility rate by 2030. At a recent meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York, she said, "I had 10 different ministerial meetings with officials of different countries — Turkey, Qatar, Morocco, Serbia, Azerbaijan, Chad, the Philippines. It was wonderful. Everybody was interested in what Hungary is doing."

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.