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Azerbaijan shows highest birth rate in Europe

17 February 2015 [13:25] - TODAY.AZ

/By AzerNews/

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan is a leading country in terms of birth rate among European countries, said Daily Mail with reference to the most recent figures (2013) from the EU statistical agency Eurostat.

Azerbaijan had the highest birth rate in Europe with 18.3 per 1,000 inhabitants.

Azerbaijan’s population has increased by 115,900 people since early 2014, hitting 9,593,000 as of early 2015, Azerbaijan’s State Statistics Committee said.

The growth of the population has been made naturally, according to the committee. The migration rate influenced the growth by 0.9 percent.

Some 170,500 children were born in the country in 2014, 53.6 percent of them are boys, and 46.4 percent, girls, the committee said.

The country’s neighbor, Turkey comes next at 16.8 per 1,000, followed by Ireland at 15.

With just 13.8, Armenia stands at fourth place, while France closes the top five with 12.3.

The lowest birth rates were identified in Estonia, Greece and Italy, where the rate constituted 8.5.

Birth rate in Italy fell to its lowest level in the last 150 years, according to the Daily Mail. Decline in birth rate is caused by a sharp reduction of the flow of immigrants into the country, which largely ensured population growth.

Portugal is in the last place in the list with 7.0 per 1,000 inhabitants.

The data was published only a few days after Pope Francis condemned couples refusing to have kids, calling such decision selfish. “Society of greedy people who do not want to surround themselves with children, as they consider them as burden is the weakened society. The decision of not having a child is selfish. Life gets updated and energy when it is multiplied. Thus, it is enriched, and don’t impoverished,” said the Pope at St. Peter's Square.

Earlier, in January, Pope said that Catholics take a responsibility for the current declining birth rate.

There is no a need to breed like rabbits, Pope said. Later, Pope apologized for his words, which caused resentments among large Catholic families.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/society/138759.html

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