In a bold response to its declining birth rate, Spain appointed Edelmira Barreira as the country’s first “S3x Tsar” to tackle the demographic crisis.
This role is designed to address the nation’s troubling population trends, which became critical when deaths outnumbered births for the first time in 2015.
Spanish women aged 18 to 49 average just 1.3 children per woman, significantly below the EU average of 1.58, highlighting Spain’s low birth rate.
This decline is partly due to demanding work schedules and fatigue, which leave many young couples too exhausted to consider starting or expanding their families.
Rafael Puyol from IE Business School in Madrid has noted that long working hours contribute to this issue. In response, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Barreira developed a national strategy to boost birth rates and address the economic impacts on Spain’s Welfare State.
This initiative follows similar efforts in other countries, such as Denmark’s “Do It For Denmark” campaign, which successfully promoted higher birth rates.
Spain’s new approach represents a proactive and innovative attempt to reverse its demographic decline and secure a more stable future.v
