POPULATION INCREASE OBSERVED IN ARMENIA

ARKA News Agency, Yerevan, Armenia
Sept 24 2007

During the recent three years trends of population increase have been observed in Armenia, said Head of the Department of Population Census and Demography of the Armenian National Statistical Service Karine Kyumjyan.

"Before 2003 the indices of migration exceeded the population increase, and the demographic situation did not improve, but starting from 2003 demography has become better and accounted for the natural population increase," she said.

Kyumjyan noted if in 1985-1990 in Armenia 80,000 children were born annually, in 2002 the index reduced by 32,000, but recently a comparative increase has been observed at the level of 37,000 annually. In 52.1% of these cases the child is a firstborn, and in 12.7% - third or more.

She said that Armenia gradually transfers from the model of large families to that of 1-2 children.

"In the 90s the reproductive performance index was 2.6 children. In 2006 it reached 1.35, and in this period the number of children living till the reproductive age reduced twice," she added.

She also pointed to the problem of the reduction in registered marriages.

She noted that in 2006 the number of marriages was 16,000 against 28,000 in 1990. The correlation of the number of divorces towards marriages increased. In 2006, 1,700 couples divorced against 4,000 in 1990.

Kyumjyan noted that the average duration of the first marriage increased from 25.5 years in 1990 to 28 years in 2005. At the same time she said that in this period the average index of life expectancy increased from 67.9 to 73 for men, and from 73.4 to 76.5 for women.