The Social Insurance Institution of Finland, Kela, has suspended the procurement of products to fill maternity packages for the year 2026, the agency has announced.
"The reason for the suspension is the decline in the birth rate, which has reduced demand for the package much more than anticipated," the benefits agency said in a press release.
Kela distributes the free-of-charge maternity packages, filled with essentials for the first year of a child's life, to families expecting a new baby.
Families can alternately choose to receive 170 euros instead of the infant care items. This year's baby box was unveiled last spring.
In June it was reported that there were fewer than one million children living in Finland, and that the fertility rate in the country in 2023 was the lowest since it started keeping records in the year 1776.
In mid-August, Kela issued an invitation for competitive tendering for items in the 2026 maternity packages, saying that items were needed for around 30,000 baby boxes.
The agency said it plans to resume procurements "as soon as possible after adjustments to the procurement schedule and the volume of orders".
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Edited for clarity on 21 October at 2.10pm.