Natural population growth declining in Armenia

/AzerNews/

By Mushvig Mehdiyev

Demographic problem in Armenia has become more dangerous since it announced its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The total population of the post-Soviet state has decreased about 600,000 over the last 20 years.

The former Head of Armenia's Central Bank Bagrat Asatryan said most of the Armenians preferred to go to distant corners of the world, including the U.S., Australia and consequently lose all their connections with relatives in Armenia.

"The latest census data of the Soviet period has put the total population of the country at 3.5 million people. But the recent report said approximately 2.8 million people leave in today's independent Armenia," Asatryan noted.

Asatryan said the common demographic crisis in Armenia is characterized by 600,000 loss of population over the last 20 years.

Index Mundi, a data portal that gathers facts and statistics from multiple sources, reported the population growth rate to be -0.13 percent in Armenia in 2014. The source said the birth rate in the South Caucasus state was 13.92 per 1,000 people.

Armenia's Health Ministry said the growth of population has dropped by 4.5 times in the country since 1990s and it is expected to decrease by 2030.

Asatryan added that the real number of Armenia's population is about 2.5 million today. "The difference between birth and death rates has almost disappeared in our country over the last 20 years and forced us to lose nearly 200,000 people," he said.

He went on to say that Armenia's population is aging, as the number of residents in and over retirement age exceeds the number of people in reproductive age. Asatryan noted that the number of young population was much more higher than the number of elderly people in Armenia during the Soviet period.

"The government needs to assess the results of this tragic problem. What will happen if the demographic crisis goes the same way?" he said.

The UN Population Fund Executive Representative Gagik Hayrapetyan has earlier said that Armenia was one of the world's top countries with an aging population, as 13 percent of its nation are aged 60 and above. According to the UN classification, a nation is considered as old when the overall number of elderly residents exceeds 7% .

Asatryan compared Armenia to its regional neighbors in terms of the demographic indicators, saying Armenia is the only country in the region, which is going to completely lose its natural population growth.

"Azerbaijan's population surpasses the total population of Armenia by three times. Georgia has managed to increase its population by 20 percent over the last 5 years. Moreover, vast majority of Georgia's residents see their future in their native country. But what about Armenia? Nearly 80-84 percent of the youth want to leave our country to earn their life abroad. Emigration from Georgia is less than that of in Armenia," Asatryan said.

Low fertility, aging and emigration are the main faces of Armenia's demographic crisis.

The National Statistical Service reported the fertility rate was 1.6 children per woman, while the figure should be 2.1 and higher to prove the simple reproduction of population. The total mortality rate increased by 13.3% over the last 10 years in Armenia, urging the the National Statistical Service to estimate its population to be 2.9 million in 2035.