Cost weighs on Greek birth rates

Eight out of 10 young couples in Greece would like to have a large family, but cannot afford to, according to a new study concerning the causes of infertility in the country, conducted in January-February 2019.
In brief, poverty is the biggest obstacle to higher birth rates among Greek households.
The research was carried out by the Department of Statistics and Insurance Science at the University of Piraeus in collaboration with HOPEgenesis, a nonprofit organization whose aim is to raise Greece's low birth rates by providing comprehensive medical care and treatment for women.
Low birth rates are described by experts as a "time bomb" in the foundations of Greece's development prospects.
One in two Greeks (52.9 percent) say that the high financial cost of pregnancy (prenatal screening and childbirth) and the upbringing of a child are the most significant hurdles....