Current birth rate too low to overcome demographic crisis

Family, Youth and Sports Minister Yuriy Pavlenko says that Ukrainian families are to have minimum two children in order to overcome demographic crisis in Ukraine.

The Minister said in 2005 there were 120 children per 100 women in Ukraine, and in 2007 the situation somewhat improved to 133 children per 100 women.

Yuriy Pavlenko reminded that in 2008 child birth benefits reached USD 2,400 for the first baby, USD 5,000 for the second, USD 10,000 for the third and each next baby.

Under the Ministry data, during the first four months of 2008, almost 78,000 families with children under three years old received child care benefits, all in time. Cabinet's press service reports.

Yuriy Pavlenko also said that fears of increasing birth rate in the so-called problems families because of increasing payments did not come true.