Czechs Want Children, But Housing, Jobs and a Shortage of Nurseries Are Holding Them Back

Birth rates in Czechia are falling fast: in 2021 the fertility rate stood at 1.83 children per woman — one of the highest in Europe — but last year it dropped to just 1.28. The number of newborns fell by a third to 77,600, the lowest figure in the country's history. The Research Institute for Labour and Social Affairs examined the reasons behind the decline in its "Family Report 2026," based on a survey of more than two thousand childless people and nearly 23,000 recipients of parental allowance.

They want children, but keep putting it off

According to Labour and Social Affairs Minister Aleš Juchelka, Czechs haven't lost interest in having children — almost two-thirds of childless people aged 25 to 44 say they want to become parents, about a fifth don't, and the rest are undecided. The problem lies in the gap between desire and reality: only a third of women who firmly planned to have a child within the next three years actually did so. Nearly half postponed it, and around a fifth abandoned the plan altogether. Women who already have one child and want a second are faring best.

Michaela Junková, 32, from Prague, says she and her partner wanted a child two years ago but put their plans on hold because of housing costs. "We want a baby, but we don't want to end up in a situation where we don't know how we'll pay the rent. Over the past four years our rent has gone up twice, and our energy bills have nearly doubled."

Partnership and money matter more than expected

The study found that having a partner and a stable income have the strongest influence on the decision to have a child. Among married women, 44% carried out their plans, compared with 33% of women living with a partner outside marriage — and only 14% of single women. "The form the relationship takes matters less than simply running a shared household," noted researcher Eva Waldaufová.

Income also plays a key role: among women from families struggling to make ends meet, 30% abandoned their plans to have a child, compared with just 17% in financially stable families. Expensive housing and job insecurity were also frequently cited as obstacles.

Nurseries matter more than allowances

Researchers looked at what might make it easier to decide to have a child: the size of the parental allowance, the availability of nurseries and other forms of childcare, and the option of working part-time. Childcare services for pre-school children and the possibility of part-time work turned out to have the strongest impact — the size of the allowance mattered less.

"What would help me isn't so much a bigger allowance as somewhere to leave my child so I could work at least three days a week," said Markéta Syrná from Prague. She already has one child and would like to work, but says she can't because her employer doesn't offer reduced hours.

Respondents rated the most generous but shortest form of support the least favourably — 90% of previous income only until the child's first birthday. People responded far more positively to longer-term support, especially when combined with affordable childcare and the option of gradually returning to work.

Read also: Rental scams in Prague: how to spot fraud

Source: novinky.cz