As of today, couples in Armenia having a second child will receive a one-time government payment of 150,000 drams ($310).

Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Maneh Tandilyan (photo) introduced the bill increasing the payment from 50,000 to 150,000 drams, arguing that having a second child is of “strategic” importance for Armenia.

Here are recent numbers for second child births in Armenia:

2014 – 16,051

2015 – 15,850

2016 – 15,032

The number of second child birth in Armenia during the second half of 2018 is predicted to be 7,500. Thus, the government will have to shell out an additional 375 million drams to cover the increased October-December payments.