State pays maintenance to nearly one in ten children in Latvia, Finland and Sweden

In Latvia, Finland and Sweden, the state pays child maintenance on behalf of a parent for slightly fewer than 10% of all minors. Edgars Līcītis, director of the administration of Latvia's Maintenance Guarantee Fund, said this in an interview with nra.lv journalist Kristīne Kravcova. The fund is a state mechanism that provides children with maintenance payments when the other parent does not pay. According to him, the scale of non-payment is similar in all three countries, even though Finland and Sweden have a higher level of economic prosperity than Latvia.

Comparison with other countries

To assess the situation in Latvia, the fund's administration compared it with countries that have similar support mechanisms. The fund was established in 2004, and at first the state paid maintenance only on the basis of a court ruling that had entered into force. Since 2017, a parent can also apply to the fund's administration without a court ruling. After that change, the administration began studying other countries' experience, paying particular attention to Finland and Sweden, where parents can obtain child maintenance without complicated court proceedings.

Līcītis stressed that, when comparing countries, what matters is not the absolute amounts paid out but the share of all minors who receive state support. According to the latest information, that share is slightly below 10% in all three countries.

Recovered funds

The picture is similar for the share of money recovered from debtors. In Finland and Sweden about 30% of the amount paid out is recovered, while in Latvia roughly 25–30% of maintenance payments is recovered each year. The fund's director concluded that Latvia is quite close to the two Nordic countries on this measure as well.