– The Spanish government has appointed a new Minister whose brief is to encourage couples to have more babies
– This is in response to the country’s extremely low birth rate
– In 2015, Spain reported a higher number of deaths than births for the first time in its history
The Spanish government has taken the unusual step of appointing a new Minister whose sole brief is to encourage couples to have more babies.
Eldermira Barreira, the newly appointed Minister with a brief to urge couples to have babies
This is in response to Spain’s extremely low birth rate, which is also falling at an alarming rate. In 2015, the country reported a higher number of deaths compared to births for the first time in its history.
Reports indicate that birth rates in Spain have fallen by as much as 18 percent since 2008 and are now among the lowest in the developed world. With a birth rate of 1.3 children among women aged between 18 and 49 reported in 2015, it lags behind the European average of 1.58.
READ ALSO: Thousands of Muslims gather in Zaria, hold prayers for Buhari
Various reasons have been advanced for these dire statistics; however, the main one is that young couples work long hours and are therefore “too tired” to make babies.
READ ALSO: Woman laments husband’s maltreatment in court
Spanish authorities however say the situation is creating economic imbalances and has knock-on effects on welfare systems that are in place.
Here is a video report on Spain’s declining population.
0naze
No comments:
Post a Comment