Russian President Putin encourages intimacy during work hours amid country's lowering birth rate

In an attempt to reverse the nation's decreasing birth rate, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been reported to have counseled Russians to engage in sexual activity at work during their lunch and coffee breaks.

Putin's order reportedly coincides with Russia's current fertility rate of about 1.5 children per woman, significantly lower than the 2.1 required for population stabilization, according to a Metro news report.

Due to the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, which has resulted in the departure of over a million Russians, the majority of whom are young, the population of the nation has also decreased.

Dr. Yevgeny Shestopalov, the Russian Health Minister, emphasized that having a family should not be hampered by one's job and urged Russians to take advantage of the most of their lunch and coffee breaks.

"Being very busy at work is not a valid reason, but a lame excuse. You can engage in procreation during breaks because life flies by too quickly," Metro quoted Shestopalov as saying.

When asked if these proposals would be feasible for people who work long hours, Shestopalov emphasized the value of taking breaks. He said, "Make babies during break times."

Other steps have been proposed by the Kremlin to increase Russia's falling birth rate. Women in Moscow who are between the ages of 18 and 40 are invited to take part in free fertility screenings that are intended to assess their reproductive potential and health.

The Russian Chelyabinsk region's officials have implemented a monetary incentive program with the goal of increasing the birth rate. After giving birth to their first child, women under 24 are eligible to receive a payout of 1.02 lakh rubles (about ₹9.40 lakh).

In Russia, restrictions on access to abortion are growing as prominent individuals and religious authorities support the idea that a woman's primary role is to bear and nurture her children.

The cost of filing for divorce has also gone up.

According to government data released earlier this month, Russia's birth rate for the first half of 2024 was the lowest in 25 years. The data additionally revealed that June saw a sharp dip in births, with the number falling below one lakh for the first time.

5,99,600 babies were born in Russia between Jan and June 2024, 16,000 fewer than in the same period in 2023.