President Donald Trump and his team like to paint themselves as trailblazers. But one of their major policies comes straight from Hungary — and that’s a good thing.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes a series of measures designed to encourage the growth of American families. Along with defunding abortion giant Planned Parenthood, the law takes a page out of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s playbook with tax credits for parents and childcare as well as “Baby Bonuses” for newborns.
Not everyone is pleased with these changes. Some argue that the program will benefit only the rich. But others say that the pro-natalist policies are somehow reminiscent of slavery and that the bill “structures inequality” because its benefits are only available to citizens.
But we’ve seen this all before.
Over the past 15 years, Orbán’s government has eliminated income taxes for mothers of four or more, granted home loans to parents of two or more, subsidized grandparents acting as caretakers, and pledged the construction of more childcare facilities — all in a bid to grow Hungary’s native-born population and reverse falling birthrates.
Like Trump, Orbán faced plenty of ire from experts regarding the supposed ineffectiveness and dire implications of his natalist policies.
BBC’s Nick Thorpe warned of outsized benefits to the rich. An especially distressed gender studies professor, Eva Fodor, wrote that Hungarian policy “redefines Hungarian citizenship” away from“darker-skinned, non-Christian migrants” and toward — quelle horreur — average Hungarian citizens. Still another critic accused Orbán of having a vendetta against working women.
But let’s take a look at the results of these policies.
After a decade of prioritizing families with tax cuts, subsidies, and generous loans, Hungary reached a 40-year peak in marriages and a 20-year high in fertility rates.
Conversely, divorces hit their lowest rate in six decades. Births increased by 9.4% year on year — an increase the likes of which the United States hasn’t seen since the 1947 Baby Boom. On top of all that, the proportion of babies born to married parents has increased to 70%, roughly 10% higher than in the United States.
Especially relevant in a post-Roe America are the effects of Hungary’s pronatalist laws on abortion. Although the procedure has remained legal in Hungary up to the 12-week mark for several decades, the number of abortions plummeted 41% from 2010 to 2021.
It’s crucial to note that this major drop took place before Hungary banned chemical abortions and began requiring abortion-minded women to listen to their babies’ heartbeats. Given that a full 40% of women seeking abortions credit financial concerns with their decision, it’s very plausible that the decrease was influenced by the greater financial support Hungary now provides to families, specifically mothers.
Economically, too, Hungary has seen strong results since Orbán began his pro-family crusade in 2010. From 2010 to 2024, the number of Hungarians working and paying taxes swelled by a million people. Further, from 2010 to 2023, Hungary’s per capita GDP grew a remarkable 43.9%, dwarfing the European Union member state average of 16.2%.
Could America see comparable successes?
The One Big Big Beautiful Bill Act’s tax credits, cuts to childcare expenses, and Baby Bonus program — together with the Bill’s broader measures such as ending taxes on tips and overtime — may prove key to supporting vulnerable families, empowering expectant mothers, and rebuilding a strong made-in-America economy.
It isn’t too late for the United States to follow Hungary into a brighter future. Our countries may have many differences, but we have very good reason to hope that pronatalist policies will work just as well here.
Emily Claire Boulet is a student at the University of Dallas.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.