Singles Will Not Face Taxes After All
The Prime Minister of North Macedonia and VMRO DPMNE leader, Hristijan Mickoski, announced today that there will not be a tax on singles, despite having hinted at its possibility last Friday.
On July 4, Mickoski stated that his government had initiated “the fight against demographic recession” and was “seriously considering additional taxes for singles,” emphasizing that “our primary goal is to encourage more young people to marry and have children.”
He made these remarks during the conference titled “Demographic Trends, Challenges and Possible Solutions – Development of Strategic Documents for Demographic Resilience.”
However, in response to the backlash from the Macedonian public regarding his earlier comments on singles taxation, Mickoski clarified that the intention behind his remarks was to “stimulate public discourse” and to express his “deep concern” about the ongoing “demographic recession” in North Macedonia over recent years.
“Certainly, there will be no such tax. I apologize to anyone who may have misunderstood my initiative, but the reality is that I am genuinely alarmed by the demographic situation in Macedonia, and as Prime Minister, it is my duty to be concerned about the future of my homeland,” Mickoski stated.
He further noted that his government is “profoundly concerned about demographic issues and trends, both within Macedonia and beyond.”
“What I observe is that we are quietly dwindling and approaching extinction, and it seems to be happening unnoticed, as if it is an accepted reality that we must accept,” Mickoski commented during a party press conference where he introduced the VMRO DPMNE candidate for mayor of Skopje in the upcoming local elections.
He emphasized the irresponsibility of accepting that in 2016, there were 23,000 births in Macedonia, while only 16,000 were recorded in 2024—a decline of 30 percent. Additionally, he pointed out that in 2021 there were slightly over 13,300 marriages, whereas in 2024 this number dropped to only 11,100, representing a reduction of 17 percent.
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