While the birth rate in Romania reached in 2024 the lowest level of the last century, from August 1, the government has adopted a measure that hits directly in the more than 150,000 mothers on the child -raising leave: the retention of 10% of the allowance for health contribution (CASS).
Young mothers, revolted by the new law of Bolojan Photo Archive
Moms talk about frustration, revolt and everyday uncertainty.
It calculates their losses in diapers, powdered milk or prenatal medical analyzes. Denounces the lack of empathy of those in power and declares, sparked: “We did not imagine that we will receive even more obstacles exactly from those who should have supported us”.
Natality, in free fall
Romania registered, in 2024, the fewest births of the last century: under 150,000, according to the data of the National Institute of Statistics (INS). It is a continuation of a constant negative trend of the last two decades. The situation does not seem to improve in 2025. On the contrary, it could be even more disastrous.
In the first half of this year, the monthly reports of the INS show that the number of births decreased, compared to the same period last year.
Instead of encouraging young families, the new measures of the government risk accentuating the decline. From August 1, 2025, parents on child -raising leave will have 10%diminished allowances, as a result of compulsory health insurance contribution (CASS).
The measure affects over 150,000 mothers and is part of the Government plan to reduce the budget deficit. But what does this decision mean, in practice?
“A cruel blow to parents”say mothers.
“The state does not support anything”
“Since I heard that we will be charged 10% of the allowance, I have always hoped that this new law will not be adopted. What for me is as if it would cut my child’s monthly allowance. In the idea that the practical state does not support anything,” says Clara (28 years old, from Bucharest), a mother of a 1 year and 3 -month boy and pregnant in 5 months.
It harshly criticizes the lack of option and the absurdity of an automatically imposed contribution: “The fact that we do not have the right to pay the amount of 1980 lei (if I had no income so I had to pay annually), but 10% of the allowance is automatically imposed.”
In the context of accelerated increases, he says that the value of the shopping cart for her and her family has become three, maybe even four times larger.
“This is in Romania, low incomes, high costs. On a weekly shopping cart, two years ago I would have paid 300 lei, maximum 400. Now, with less than 1200 lei you can not leave a supermarket. So we thank the Romanian state for such a family support.”
Last but not least, the young woman also raises the issue of the efficiency of the public health system:
“The queues at the state hospitals are hell, the waiting hours … I do not say. When you could pay a much more advantageous private medical subscription and with less money.”
The tendency of young mothers to call on private health services
Victoria, another 29 -year -old mum in the Capital, is in the second year of maternal leave:
“I am lucky that I caught 1 year of the child without this change. Basically, from August I will not have money with which I could buy 6 packs of diapers or 12 boxes of milk powder.”
Victoria is one of the mothers who have already opted for the private health system.
“We have contributed for years through tax and rarely appealed to state hospitals and polyclinics. For medical services, I also went to the private, including for pregnancy and birth analyzes,” says the young woman, who also draws attention to major imbalances from government priorities: “The state should better analyze how to eliminate special pensions, or accumulate unpaid taxes, instead of burdening young people who have decided to stay in the country and establish their families. “
For a single mother, the situation becomes desperate
Silvia is a single mother of 35 years in Cluj-Napoca. “In order to benefit from a slightly higher allowance, we spent all the money saved. Cutting the 10% allowance takes me to the point where I am affected physically and emotionally.
This stress that induces us,
takes you to the point of despair.“
In addition to the economic impact, Silvia also spoke about the psychological one. He spoke about the isolation of which the total lack of legal support has: “As a single mother I do not receive any support from the state. Not even a discount, no matter what it would be. From a legal point of view I do not feel protected at all. I had consultations with lawyers and many single mothers encounter problems with children’s fathers, and the state does not support them. ”
His message is exciting:
“I am curious to ask the question of everyone in power: ‘How do I see life without a mother?’ Even without a father?
The cry of a pregnant woman with the second child
For her part, Mihaela, 30, is the mother of a 4 -year -old girl, pregnant with the second child. It is terrified of what follows. “There are a lot of things to think about as parents. The expenses we have are not small, we always have to buy our little girl and other things he needs, and now, with another child on the road, I do not want to say how horror we are.”explains the woman.
He also has a message for politicians: “To be ashamed of the politicians, fixed from mothers found to cut to recover money for the state budget, given that there are so many places where they could be cut, but as usual, they only cut from, without caring. It is actually not interested in the people of this wonderful country. They fall in luxury, and we torment us, even though we have contributed for many years for our health insurance! So “deserve” after years of work. And they complain that the birth rate decreases. Hmmm, why?“, Mommy shows.
“An intentional evil, a violated right”
Ștefania is 28 years old, is from Bucharest and has recently given birth to her first child: “I believe that the draft law that involves the 10% restraint of the CASS represents, from the point of view of a mother on the child-raising leave, a bad intention, a violated right. Instead of making cuts from their very high salaries, I take the child from the money that, in fact and right, I return ”, she thinks.
Ștefania brings into question a matter of ethics:
“It does not seem normal to me that those under arrest, foreigners who have been helped by the Romanian state anyway as the Romanians have never been helped, to be exempted from this restraint, and the mothers who take care of a child to be retained.”
INS confirms: Natality decreases accelerated and in 2025
Data from the first half of 2025 indicates an alarming continuation of the decrease in birth. Each month, the number of births was lower than in the equivalent months of 2024.
At the same time, last year there were the fewest births of the last 100 years – under 150,000 in number.
Between January and May 2025, 54,604 births were registered, with over 49,000 extra deaths-a dramatic natural natural increase.
Legislative context and Prime Minister Bolojan’s response
By Law 141/2025, entered into force from August 1, 2025, the allowances granted to the parents in the child -raising leave, the adoption, the unemployment allowance, the minimum inclusion aid and other similar allowances will be subject to the automatic withholding of the social health insurance contribution (CASS), in the 10% quota.
Until this date, the beneficiaries of these allowances were exempted from CASS payment. From now on, the paying organization will automatically hold this contribution from the amount.
The government, through the voice of Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, argues that the measure is justified “The amount is small, in relation to the cost of the medical services that the mothers benefit from ”.
In reality, however, free medical services are partial, many being paid out of parents’ pocket, and public hospitals are considered inaccessible due to the crowds and low quality, parents say.
Social allowances and aid will not increase next year
Each year, on March 1, the social allowances that are calculated in relation to the social reference indicator (ISR) are indexed with the annual inflation rate.
By the Ordinance of the train adopted at the end of last year, the government decided that these allowances should no longer be indexed with the inflation rate in 2025, so that the value of the ISR remains for 660 lei as last year.
In addition, the first package of austerity measures, entered into force on August 1, 2025, stipulates that these allowances will be frozen in 2026.
Among the financial aid that is calculated on the basis of the ISR are the unemployment benefit, the performances for the disabled, the allowance for the child’s raising, but also other forms of social support.
Thus, the value of social allowances and aid will have the following values in 2026:
- The unemployment allowance, according to Law 76/2002, is calculated on the basis of the value of ISR, and the amount varies according to the contribution period: the value of the ISR in force at the date of establishing the allowance (660 lei), for persons with a contribution period of at least one year. In addition, an additional amount is added, calculated on the basis of the monthly gross salary average of the last 12 months of contribution. This can increase with different percentages depending on the seniority in work: 3% for 3 years of contribution, 5% for five years, 7% for 10 years and 10% for 20 years of contribution;
- The insertion premium will remain 1,980 lei, and the subsidy for marginalized persons will be maintained at 2,640 lei;
- The allowance for people with disabilities will remain at 462 lei for a serious disability (70% of ISR) and 350 lei for an accentuated handicap (53% of ISR);
- The minimum monthly allowance for the child -raising leave, established by GEO 111/2010, will remain at 1,651 lei;
- The placement allowance, established by Law 272/2004, will remain at 1,194 lei, and the support allowance will remain at 528 lei;
