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Vladimir Putin urges citizens to 'have sex during work breaks' to combat Russia's terrible birth rate

Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly called on his citizens to be sexually active during work breaks to counteract the country's declining birth rate.

According to a report by metroThe Russian president's appeal comes against the backdrop of the country's declining birth rate. It currently stands at 1.5 children per woman, far below the 2.1 required to ensure population stability.

Putin suggested that workers should use their lunch and coffee breaks for private meetings to empower the country's population.

“Protecting the Russian people is our highest national priority,” Putin said, adding: “The fate of Russia depends on how many of us there will be. It is a matter of national importance,” as reported metro.

Russian Health Minister Yevgeny Shestopalov, who expressed similar concerns, dismissed the idea that a busy work schedule should be an excuse. “You can reproduce during breaks because life flies by too quickly,” Metro quoted him as saying.

When asked how people who work 12 to 14 hours find time to reproduce, he replied: “During breaks.”

Overcoming Russia's demographic crisis has proven insurmountable for the Kremlin. The population of the world's largest country has been declining for several years and is expected to fall from the current 144 million to around 130 million by 2050, a major concern for the Kremlin.

To counter the falling birth rate, Russia has introduced several measures, including free fertility screenings for women aged 18 to 40 in Moscow and financial incentives such as Chelyabinsk's offer to pay female students under 24 £8,500 for their first child. In addition, access to abortion is being restricted, divorce fees have risen and public figures are urging women to give priority to having a child.

MP Tatyana Butskaya has presented a plan on how employers can monitor and encourage the birth rate of their employees.

“Every employer should look at their workplace: What is your birth rate? Are you having one more child per person who can give birth this year?” she suggested.

Politician Anna Kuznetsova advocated early family formation, saying: “If you start at 19 or 20, you as a family have the opportunity to have three, four or more children.”

MP Zhanna Ryabtseva added: “Give birth, give birth and give birth again. You have to start having children at 18.”

Published 17 September 2024, 10:22 IS

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