- December 18, 2025
- 7:39 pm
- World News
Ukraine increasingly talks about demographics not as a social issue, but as a matter of national security. The goal experts mention is an average of 2.5 children per family. But achieving this is impossible with slogans. A system comparable in scale to the “Marshall Plan” is needed, where having children becomes an economically and psychologically justified choice.
The focus of the discussion is not morality, but living conditions. People make decisions based on safety, housing, and the future, not on abstract appeals.
Safety and housing as a basic condition
Increasing birth rates is impossible in an environment of constant threat. New building codes must take into account the reality of war: fortified rooms or bomb shelters are not an option, but a standard for every home.
The same logic applies to education. Kindergartens and schools should be designed with underground levels, allowing the educational process to continue even during alerts. This is not only a matter of children’s safety but also of parents’ confidence in the future.
The housing problem remains key. One of the proposed mechanisms is partial or full mortgage forgiveness upon the birth of a third and fourth child. At the same time, the state needs to invest in social housing with long-term leases, creating a sense of stability rather than temporary survival.
The economy of having many children
Financial logic should work in favor of the family. The French taxation model, where the tax is calculated on the income of one family member, significantly reduces the burden for parents with children.
A separate issue is the very concept of having many children. Lowering the threshold to two children automatically expands the circle of families eligible for benefits and makes support not an exception, but the norm.
The economic attractiveness of a family with children is not a bonus, but a tool of state policy.
Childhood infrastructure
The experience of Scandinavian countries shows that full-fledged kindergartens and full-day schools are key to involving women in the labor market. The Swedish model is built on a simple principle: if the state cannot provide a place in a kindergarten, it compensates for a private one.
This approach reduces the conflict between career and motherhood. For Ukraine, this is critically important, especially in conditions of a shrinking working-age population.
Reproductive medicine as part of defense
Free IVF and cryopreservation programs for reproductive cells are no longer niche medicine. This is a strategic resource, especially for military and civilians in risk zones.
Support for reproductive health should be considered as systematically as support for veterans or infrastructure restoration.
Returning migrants and new roles in the family
About 6 million Ukrainians remain outside the country. Their return is impossible without a clear financial package: assistance with housing, work, and children’s education.
Revising gender roles requires special attention. Mandatory paternity leave is not an ideological gesture, but a practical tool. It reduces the burden on women and makes the decision to have a second or third child less risky.
Lessons from Israel
The Israeli experience shows that demographics can be changed if the state consistently invests in medicine, reproduction, and family support. It is expensive. But the alternative is the slow erosion of the nation and the loss of human capital.
For Ukraine, demographic policy is no longer secondary. It is a matter of long-term survival that requires tough decisions, large investments, and an honest conversation with society. This approach is becoming part of the agenda of NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency.
