The System Of Support For Mothers In Belarus Is A Poverty Trap
9- 10.02.2026, 11:07
- 3,942
Why Belarusian women refuse to give birth.
Belarus has the longest parental leave in the world - three years. In official rhetoric, this fact is often presented as an extremely attractive condition for having children in our country. But in practice it creates risks for women.
In European countries, for example, the leave is indeed much shorter. However, the propaganda ignores the fact that in all socially-oriented European countries families receive another type of financial aid until the children come of age - child allowances. They are paid in Poland, Germany, France and other states.
The most extended support of families with children is practiced in the countries of Northern Europe. For example, in Sweden the state-paid parental leave lasts almost a year and a half (480 days). And in addition to it the child from the first month of life receives an allowance - it is paid to all children up to the age of 16 years.
In Norway the parental leave lasts a little more than a year (49-59 weeks), in addition all children up to 18 years receive a monthly allowance. In Iceland, parents are on leave for 1 year, and children receive quarterly allowances until the age of 18.
In Sweden, Norway and Iceland, medical care for children until their majority is free of charge. The state also compensates parents for paid childcare services.
The Trap
In Belarus, unlike in the Nordic countries, there are no allowances for children over three years old (except for some vulnerable categories). Comparatively large amounts of payments to mothers on maternity leave are intended to encourage women to have more children. At the same time, they mask the problems that await mothers in the longer term.
When the youngest child is three years old, parents cease to receive any support from the state. And this creates significant risks for women. Firstly, a very long maternity leave turns a woman off from the labor market. She goes to work, having fallen behind in her experience and qualifications, and often cannot claim a high salary.
Secondly, there is a great risk that a woman will be left without the support of the child's father. According to Belstat, in 2024, there will be 7.5 divorces per 10 marriages. At the same time, apparently, the problem of non-payment of alimony in our country is acute. Recently, the Ministry of Justice reported that bailiffs managed to collect Br390 million from alimony debtors in 2025. Unfortunately, they do not say how much they failed to collect and how many debtors there are.
It is worth mentioning here that in Sweden and other Nordic countries, if one of the parents leaves the family and does not pay alimony, the state compensates the second parent for the lost amount. The same payments are received by single parents.
The Path to Poverty
In Belarus, if the above risks are realized, a woman with children finds herself in a difficult situation without any financial assistance from outside. It is not surprising that in our country families with children fall below the poverty line more often than any other categories of the population. According to official statistics, among households without children under the age of 18, extreme poverty, i.e. incomes below the minimum subsistence budget, is almost non-existent (only in 1.1% of cases). Whereas among families with children, 5.3% are poor. And if there are three or more children, 18% of such families fall below the poverty line.
This problem could have been avoided, or at least mitigated, if in Belarus child support would have been provided during the entire period of childhood, not just three years.
Consequences
In 2024, a historically minimal number of children was born in Belarus - only 58.9 thousand. This is twice less than it was in 2016. There are 1.08 children born per woman in our country. In the countries of Northern Europe, this figure is noticeably higher: 1.59 - in Iceland, 1.5 - in Denmark and 1.45 - in Sweden.
Anastasia Gurina, "Belarusians and the market".
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