Another reason why people in Moldova have stopped giving birth, and why the population is declining at the fastest rate on the continent, is that children in our country have become a luxury that not every family can afford.
According to an analysis by Remitly, cited by Euronews, the cost of raising a child in the first year of life in our country amounts to 88.8 percent of the average annual salary nationwide. And that is the highest figure among 38 European countries.
Moreover, the gap even with the poorest European countries is enormous. Second place goes to Albania with 66%, followed by Turkey, Montenegro, and Serbia with 45.1%, 45%, and 41.4% respectively.
In absolute figures, we do not spend that much — 4,143 euros compared to the European average of 4,727 euros. But the income gap is also enormous.
What is more, this figure does not reflect all expenses, but only the mandatory ones — diapers, bottles, baby food, sleep products, a stroller, a car seat, etc. Nanny services, kindergarten costs, and so on would come on top of that very 88.8 percent of income.
