Milei urges higher birth rates as childcare policies are reduced

President Javier Milei has urged women in Argentina to have more children to strengthen the economy and pension system, while his administration has reduced or eliminated most existing childcare policies. The government’s position has prompted public debate and criticism, according to the research available for August 31, 2026.

La Cocina de los Cuidados, an intersectoral group, reports that only two of 50 national childcare policies remain fully active. The research does not identify the two policies or specify when the others were reduced or eliminated.

The debate comes as Argentina’s fertility rate has fallen to 1.2 children per woman, a level described in the research as insufficient for generational replacement. The figures are presented in the context of Milei’s call for larger families and his administration’s approach to childcare policy.

Experts and social organisations cited in the research argue that improving the structural conditions for raising children and supporting family well-being is necessary. They oppose demands on women that are not accompanied by solid public policies.

The research characterises the government’s approach as contradictory: Milei is calling for higher birth rates while his administration has reduced or eliminated most existing childcare measures. That tension has become a subject of public criticism and discussion in Argentina.