Georgia achieves +50% birth rate

Georgia achieves +50% birth rate

Peter Kopa, August 3, 2025

The following is a resencion and commentary on Kurt Mahlburg’s article published on July 31, 2025, in the Daily Declaration, Australia

There is no shortage of bad news when it comes to the global birth rate decline. Already in 2021, more than half of all countries had a total fertility rate (TFR) below 2.1 children per woman, the figure needed for the population to remain stable, not counting immigration. In Japan and Korea, that rate is already critically low, at 1.21 and 0.72 respectively. Australia is not much better, with the latest data showing “dangerously low” fertility rates of just 1.5 TFR. While climate alarmists undoubtedly applaud these figures, economists are sounding the alarm. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-17/australia-birth-rate-hits-rock-bottom-economic-consequences/104480816

A declining (and therefore aging) population means slower economic growth, reduced innovation, and, most urgently, fewer taxpayers to sustain Australia’s already overburdened healthcare and pension systems. These problems will increase as the fertility deficit worsens. And once a country’s fertility rate begins to decline, it is very difficult to reverse the trend.

A miracle in Georgia

https://thinktanklatam.org/el-privilegio-de-los-hijos-de-familia/

Georgia, in Eastern Europe, is an exception to this rule. In 2005, women in Georgia had only 1.4 children, which was among the lowest fertility rates in the world at the time. But by 2014, the country had managed to increase its total fertility rate to 2.1, a 50% increase in less than a decade.

What did Georgia do to reverse its birth shortage? In 2007, Patriarch Ilia II, who heads the Georgian Orthodox Church, announced that he would personally baptize and be the godfather of any third or subsequent child. Since 2007, more than 30,000 babies (34.5% of third or higher order births) have been baptized under this program.

The Georgian government also supported this initiative with child benefits and tax breaks. But it was primarily religious momentum that drove the change.

The Church was the catalyst for change

A study published earlier this year in the Journal of Population Economics confirms that the patriarch’s offer to baptize third or subsequent children significantly boosted birth rates.

In an article titled “Religiously inspired baby boom: evidence from Georgia,” researchers found that Georgia’s national fertility rate increased by 17 percent—approximately 0.3 additional children per woman. This translated into approximately 38,000 additional births between 2008 and 2013.

Among Georgian Orthodox women, third and higher-order births doubled, and marriage rates increased by more than 10 percentage points.

Even more surprising is that abortion rates declined slightly, but unwanted births did not increase. In other words, women were not under pressure to carry unwanted pregnancies to term, but were choosing to have more children they truly wanted.

It is crucial to note that the study ruled out the end of the 2008 Russian-Georgian war as a cause of the fertility change: the increase in births occurred immediately after the patriarch’s announcement and was observed consistently across the country, even in regions not affected by the conflict.

Restoring the honor of motherhood

Men generally do not want to pressure their wives to have more pregnancies and births than they desire. This makes women the primary arbiters of the number of children within marriage.

This is because women are much less driven by economic concerns than men, so purely economic policies do not work. Can you imagine a woman deciding to have another child because of a tax break?

However, what does motivate women is their social environment. They want to be accepted and well thought of by others. And here we come to the heart of the matter: the genius of this program is that it restores the honor of motherhood. And this works much better than money.

Comments and conclusions

It is clear that the entire future of world civilization depends on women being faithful to their natural vocation. We are faced with real proof that, even in the 21st century, Christian values and the moral guidance of the Church are the foundation and starting point for addressing even the most complex political problems and improving the economy and culture.

Therefore, all those who spread Christian life deserve, and even have a certain moral right to receive, help from the state. This could save many billions, as it has been proven beyond doubt that economic incentives are useless. But there are other aspects to consider:

The current resurgence of the Christian faith gives hope for more births worldwide and, at the same time, a renewed fight against abortion, pornography, and euthanasia.

Until 1960, having many children was taken for granted throughout the world. Hebrew and Christian culture and tradition have laid the solid foundations that have made the greatness of the West possible. In every nation and region of the world, the defense of life has always been a reality. What essential difference is there between the pagan ritual sacrifices in Mexico (Aztecs), India, Greece, etc., and abortion?