Austria in 1st place

This is how much the state pays to families

(Bild: Katy Spichal, stock.adobe.com)

Tell us, how do you feel about support services for Austrian families? A study by the EU Commission answers this question. According to the study, Austria is the European champion.

Whether it's the Family Bonus Plus, the family allowance, the childcare or school starting allowance or tax relief - the Austrian state invests a lot in the future of our youngest children, even in the fight against the risk of poverty. This has now been confirmed by a new 37-page study by the EU Commission. The data comes from the years 2019 to 2022, even before our family and social benefits were valorized, i.e. adjusted for inflation (since the beginning of 2023). This means that the support for one family, for example, will be 2,200 euros more per year.

We have increased benefits in recent years in order to provide families with the best possible support.

ÖVP-Familienministerin Susanne Raab

According to the bare figures, we are the European champion with 12 percent of so-called transfer payments, measured against the domestic gross domestic product per capita (the equivalent of more than 5000 euros). Poland is next, followed by Latvia and Hungary. Large countries such as Germany and France are also still in the top 10, with Italy in the bottom third. At the bottom of the list are Spain, Greece and Ireland.

Family Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP)(Bild: SEPA.Media/Michael Indra)

Family Minister Susanne Raab is delighted with the study by the EU Research Center: "No other country in the European Union supports families as much as Austria. We can rightly be proud of this. We are deservedly in 1st place!"

The fly in the ointment: as we continue to hold the top position in Europe in terms of inflation, support for families is, of course, sorely needed . . .