site.btaSkopje Considers Taxing Unmarried to Tackle Demographic Crisis in North Macedonia

The Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski, reported that his government is considering introducing additional taxes for citizens who have not entered a civil marriage. The statement was made during a debate on demographic trends, challenges and possible solutions on Friday.

According to a statement released by the governmental press service, 16,061 babies were born in North Macedonia in 2024, while 20,201 people died. Mickoski said: "This is a drop of 4,140 people in just one year. In the last four years we have lost over 33,000 citizens, a town the size of Kavadarci or Kicevo has disappeared. The birth rate has dropped from 12.5 percentage points in 2010 to 8.8 in 2024. Many municipalities and villages no longer even teach classes in first grade. More people are living alone, fewer are getting married, fewer children are being born."

The Prime Minister of North Macedonia said that the demographic crisis is not a problem that is unique to his country. He added: "Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Japan, South Korea, all these countries have been facing the same problem for a long time. Few children are being born, the population is ageing, and young people are increasingly looking abroad for a better life. But our situation is special. Because, while some countries are noticing this phenomenon as a trend, for us it is an alarm. This government is not silent about the problem. [...] It acknowledges it. And it is fighting it."