As Finland's birth rate continues to fall, fewer parents are claiming home care benefits, a payment available for taking care of young children not in daycare.

The number of families receiving Finland's home care allowance has almost halved over the past decade.

According to benefits agency Kela, fewer than 60,000 people received the benefit in 2025, down from just over 110,000 in 2015.

Total payments amounted to 137 million euros in 2025, which is around 159 million euros less than a decade earlier.

Kela said the drop was largely explained by falling birth rates in Finland.

Families are also using the allowance less frequently and for shorter periods, though the agency noted that this has had a smaller effect on overall spending.

The government is meanwhile aiming to tighten the requirements for qualifying for this particular benefit.