Armenians at Zvartnots International Airport (Photo: Photolure)
YEREVAN (Arka)—Emigration and low birth rate are the main reasons behind Armenia’s declining population, a demographer Ruben Yeganyan said on Wednesday. According to official data of the National Statistical Service (NSS), the country’s population as of January 1, 2017 was estimated at 2,986,500 people, a decrease of 0.4% from the year before.
“There is nothing strange in the fact that the population of Armenia continues to decline. The main reasons are emigration and low birth rate,” Yeganyan said in an interview with Novosti-Armenia.
According to Yeganyan, the birth rate is falling because the young people of reproductive age born in the 90s of the 20th century are not numerous. He said the birth rate is also affected by a string of socio-economic factors.
As regards the situation with emigration, according to the demographer, there are both labor and ‘irrevocable’ emigration, when Armenian families settle down for permanent residence in another country.
“Today I do not see any prerequisites for a change in the demographic and migration situation. Changes require serious socio-economic reforms. Today we do not see steps or desire to carry out these reforms,” he said.
According to the NSS, the number of births in Armenia in 2016 decreased by 2.3% to 40,638 babies, while the number of deaths increased by 0.9% to 28,129.
In 2016, some 40,638 babies were born in Armenia – 19,179 girls and 21,459 boys, Karine Kuyumjyan, head of the Department of Census and Demography at the NSS, said to a news conference on Wednesday. According to her, the birth rate in 2016 was 2.7% lower than in 2015.
Armenia’s permanent population as of January 1, 2017 stood at 2.986.5 million people, by 12,100 people less from the year before, according to the National Statistical Service (NSS). The drop is attributed to the prevalence of the negative migration balance of 24,600 people over the natural population growth of 12,500.
Source: Asbarez
Link: Emigration, Low Birth Rate Main Causes of Armenia’s Population Decline