Spain has appointed a Minister for sex, Edelmira Barreira to help the country boost its dwindling birth rate and avoid a population crisis. Barreira, a demographic expert has been tasked to solve the problem that has led to a rapidly declining population in the Senado de Espana (Spain). Young couples have reportedly blamed being “too tired after a full day at work” and “late nights” for why they are not making babies.

The move to appoint a minister of sex began in 2015 when the country reported a higher death rate than birth rate in a country where life expectancy is put at 82.38 (2012). Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Ms Barreira will draft a document for a national strategy of demographic imbalances. Statistics revealed Spanish women between 18-49 reportedly had an average of 1.3 children in 2015 – below the European Union’s (EU) figure of 1.58.

While many European countries are seeing a decline in birth rates, Spain’s figures means it has one of the lowest in the developed world. Spain’s birthrate has fallen by 18 percent since 2008, according to figures from Eurostat. And between 1977 and 2015, the number of childless couples tripled from 1.5 to 4.4 million, according to the latest report by Spanish social and economic think tank, Funcas .

Spain’s education ministry said the declining birth-rate “aggravates other economic imbalances and generates important ‘impacts’ in the Welfare State”, reports Spanish news site ABC . Rafael Puyol, of the IE Business School in Madrid, said people are often too tired after a full day at work and blamed long working hours and late nights for the decrease in sex and birth.

NAN