Will Kazakhstan residents be required to have children or face a tax? The discussion about a long-forgotten tax has resurfaced.

Recently, Majilis deputy Bolat Kerimbek commented during a meeting with school mentors in the Zhetysu region regarding the emergence of so-called childfree individuals (people who choose not to have children). It was noted at the meeting that, according to social media comments, there are quite a few young people in Kazakhstan who identify as such, and a proposal was even made to introduce a tax on childlessness, reports inbusiness.kz.

As is known, starting this year, the amount of fines and taxes in the country has significantly increased due to the rise in the monthly calculation index (MCI), and utility costs have also gone up. Additionally, mobile transfers are being monitored, and banking fees have risen. Constant new changes are being implemented that impact the wallets of Kazakhstani citizens, leading to growing frustration among the public. Against the backdrop of all these changes, the suggestion of a tax on childlessness seems particularly misplaced. However, those in high-ranking positions may have a different perspective. We sought to understand this proposal better with demography expert Ayauylm Sagynbaeva.

We Need to Think About Existing Children

"Demography is a science, and as a science, it is not swayed by populist statements. Often, elected representatives make superficial comments. Firstly, we lack statistics on the number of people choosing a childfree lifestyle. Childfree means a voluntary decision to forgo parenthood.

Secondly, we must consider the constitutional rights of every individual and their personal life, which, like personal data, should be inviolable. If we start discussing the possibility of imposing fines for childlessness, then lawmakers should first address the question: how are existing children faring? Do all children have access to education? Are they studying in three shifts? Can they attend public kindergartens and receive qualified medical care given the shortage of doctors?" – stated the expert.

In her opinion, it is also crucial to pay attention to children suffering from infectious diseases and those with autoimmune disorders. Lawmakers should consider the needs of children with disabilities, autism, and cerebral palsy, as well as those experiencing speech development delays. There are many issues affecting children, and deputies should focus on safety concerns such as kidnapping and child abuse.

This slogan against childlessness appears, in the demographer's view, to be populist since there is no evidence in Kazakhstan to support how many people consciously decide not to have children. The state should take measures to protect and ensure the safety of children, provide quality education and healthcare, and increase access to leisure activities and clubs.

"Instead of fighting against mythical childfree individuals, deputies should focus on the prospects and current situation concerning children. We live in a free democratic country, and when deputies speak on such matters, they should remember the principles of a secular state and the need to work on the country's and technology's development. If deputies are genuinely concerned about the demographic situation, they should initiate laws or concepts related to demographic policy. Attention must be given to the high male mortality rate, maternal and infant mortality rates, and the level of stillbirths. It is also important to consider issues of early cohabitation and pregnancy among girls under 18," – emphasized Ayauylm Sagynbaeva.

The expert reminded that there are numerous problems in the country's demographic development that require immediate attention, ranging from public health to mortality rates. Lawmakers should raise issues surrounding suicides: adolescent, youth, and child suicides (why Kazakhstan ranks among the top 20 countries in the world for this statistic), high mortality from oncological diseases, and circulatory system diseases among youth. We must not forget about outbreaks of infectious diseases that need to be controlled, such as whooping cough and tetanus. Finally, we should discuss pneumonia among children, which claims thousands of lives annually, and the increasing incidence of autistic children being born.

Today's youth lack the conditions to have children, and many young women fear marriage due to concerns about violence, abuse in relationships, and interference from their husbands' relatives. News outlets and their social circles are filled with examples of divorces, unhappy women, and abandoned children.

There are indeed many problems, and the initiative for a tax on childlessness seems, to the demographer, quite absurd.

Meanwhile, the idea of a tax on childlessness was mentioned in an interview in 2010 by the rector of the Central Asian University, Makash Tatimov. He expressed the opinion that taxes on bachelorhood and childlessness should be introduced in Kazakhstan to encourage birth rates. Tatimov suggested that women should start paying such taxes from the age of 25, while men should start from 30. Interestingly, the idea of a childlessness tax was first voiced by Altynshash Zhaganova, who was the head of the RK Agency for Migration and Demography in 2003, but it did not receive state support at that time.

Where Did the Tax on Childlessness Come From?

The proposal for a tax on childlessness is not new. Calls for its implementation periodically arise worldwide in the context of a serious demographic crisis.

Even in the Roman Empire, childless men and women were burdened with similar taxes. At that time, people without children were not entitled to inherit. If a woman became a widow, she was exempt from paying the tax for only one year, and in case of divorce, for six months.

This practice was later adopted in the Ottoman Empire, where only unmarried and childless men paid the tax. During that time, the childlessness tax was strict, but its amount varied depending on the region, leading to population migration.

In the United States, attempts were also made to tax unmarried men and women who turned down marriage proposals.

In the 1930s, discussions arose about the need to increase the population when differences in birth rates between states were analyzed. However, these debates did not lead to concrete results.

In Argentina, measures were taken to support men seeking love but unable to find it for various reasons. If a man can prove that he intended to marry but was rejected by a woman, he can avoid paying the bachelor tax.

Throughout the 20th century, taxes on childlessness were introduced in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and Finland, but each time it ended with its repeal. The reasons included that such a tax did not bring significant benefits — it did not lead to a noticeable increase in birth rates and did not provide substantial revenue for the national budget.

Childless Individuals Were Taxed During the Soviet Era

The tax on childlessness existed for 51 years during the Soviet Union – from November 21, 1941, to January 1, 1992.

Childless men aged 20 to 50 and women aged 20 to 45 had to pay 6% of their salary. For those earning less than 91 rubles a month, a reduced rate applied, and no tax was levied on incomes below 70 rubles. In 1949, the tax for rural residents was increased: childless villagers paid 150 rubles per year, and for one child — 50 rubles, for two — 25 rubles per year until 1952.

Exemptions from the tax were granted to individuals unable to have children due to health reasons, as well as those whose children died or went missing during the war. Benefits were also provided to students, Heroes of the Soviet Union awarded three degrees of the Order of Glory, military personnel, and their families.

According to a decree from 1957, starting January 1, 1958, workers and employees with children, as well as single childless women, were exempt from the tax. The tax ceased to be levied upon the birth or adoption of a child and was reinstated in the event of the death of the only child. From the late 1980s, newlyweds were granted tax benefits for one year after marriage registration.

This tax was colloquially referred to as the "egg tax," as it placed men and women in an unequal position: men were taxed regardless of marital status, while women were taxed only if they were in a registered marriage and had no children.

Despite this, the existence of the tax did not affect birth rates in the country.

In Russia, in 2013, there were proposals to reinstate the tax on childlessness, but in 2017, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev rejected the idea. In December 2023, State Duma deputy Evgeny Fedorov raised the issue of introducing a childlessness tax again to stimulate birth rates. In June 2024, he reiterated this call, considering it necessary to improve the demographic situation. In October 2024, economist A. Zubets proposed a tax of 30-40 thousand rubles per month for childless individuals and families with one child. This subsequently drew criticism from experts, noting that such measures could worsen the financial situation of families.

As we can see, the experiences of different countries demonstrate that the practice of introducing such a tax has not led to positive outcomes. We can only hope that the discussion will not progress beyond the proposal, similar to the implementation of the