History/Political Science paper by Szántó, Ildikó
Child and Family Benefits in Hungary to Halt Population Decline: 1965-2020 (Accepted)
Type of Abstract (select):Abstract (max. 250 words):
Hungary faces a significant population loss based on the long-term demographic forecast. Firstly, this paper present the continuing low level of Hungarian fertility, as well as the marked loss of population due to emigration during the period of post-socialist change between 1989 and 2020. Secondly, it discusses the role the government’s family policies play in halting fertility decline before 1989 in the demographic post-transitional period of 1960-1980 and in the past thirty years since 1989. Thirdly, it particularly aims to highlight the impact of the new family policy since 2010, the reverse redistribution of resources from poor to the better-off families, which did not result in the growth of birth rates. The new family benefits possibly further contribute to the existing polarization of Hungarian society without altering the Hungarian demographic data. Briefly, the paper also compares the recent changes in family policies in Poland, Hungary, and Romania since 1990.
Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Ildikó Szántó received her M.A. degree in History from Macquarie University, N.S.W. She has taught interdisciplinary courses focusing on the ideological movements of the twentieth century in East-Central Europe at the Budapest University of Economic Sciences, Pázmány Péter Catholic University and the Budapest Business School.