More deaths, higher natural decrease
According to preliminary data, the number of live births was 1.6% less in 2017 than in 2016, while that of deceases increased by 3.7% because of the significant death surplus at the beginning of the year relating to the peaking flu epidemic. As a result, the natural decrease was 40,100 persons, 6,110 more than a year earlier. In December 2017, the number of live births was 2.9% and that of deceases was 4.3% less than in the same month of 2016. In the last month of the year, the natural decrease was 3,895 persons, 291 fewer than in December 2016.
In December 2017:
7,603 children were born, 229 or 2.9% less than in December 2016.
The number of deceased people was 11,498, which meant a decrease of 4.3% or numerically 520 deceases compared to December of the previous year.
The decrease in the number of births was lower than that of deceases, as a result of which natural decrease lessened by 7.0% to 3,895 compared to the figure of 4,186 in December 2016.
The number of marriages decreased by 3.9%, and the number of 2,284 marriages registered was by 92 fewer than the figure in December 2016.
In January–December 2017:
91,600 children were born, 1,463 (1.6%) fewer than in 2016. 2016 was a leap year, thus the examined period was one day shorter in 2017. Taking into account this, the leap-day adjusted number of live births decreased to a lower extent, by 1.3% compared to the previous year. In January 0.4% and in May 10% more children were born, while in the other months, the number of births was lower than in the corresponding months of the previous year. The largest drop of 6.2% occurred in October.
131,700 people died, which meant a growth of 3.7% or numerically 4,647 more deceases than in 2016. In six months of the year more and in six months fewer deaths occurred than in the previous year. The most significant increase was in January–February when the leap-day adjusted number of the deceased grew by 25% on average. Similarly to the trend two years ago, the peak of the flu epidemic may be in the background of the considerable mortality surplus at the beginning of 2017. The largest decrease was in December when the number of deaths fell by 4.3% compared to the same month of 2016.
The number of deaths increased and that of births decreased, as a result of which natural decrease grew by 18% and was 40,100 persons as opposed to 33,990 in 2016.
The number of 50,600 marriages registered in 2017 was 1,205 (2.3%) fewer than in the previous year. Taking into consideration the leap-day effect, the decrease was somewhat lower, 2.2%. The number of marriages grew in four and fell in eight months of the year. The largest increase occurred in June when 7.3% more people married than in the corresponding month of 2016. The most significant decline was in February when the leap-day adjusted number of marriages fell by 12% year-on-year.
There were 9.4 live births and 13.5 deceases per thousand inhabitants. The former was 0.1 per mille point down and the latter was 0.6 per mille point up on the value in 2016, as a result of which the rate of natural decrease rose by 0.6 per mille point to 4.1 per mille. The number of infant deaths was 3.6 per thousand live births in 2017, which meant a decrease of 0.4 per mille point year-on-year, and this has been the lowest value measured so far. The marriage rate was 5.2 per mille, 0.1 per mille point lower than in 2016.
The estimated population number calculated on the basis of the 2011 census taking into account international migration was 9,771 thousand at the end of 2017.
Main data of vital events, January–December 2017
| Vital event | Number | Change compared to the same period of the previous year, % | Per thousand inhabitants | Change compared to the same period of the previous year, % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live birth | 91 600 | –1.6 | 9.4 | –1.3 |
| Death | 131 700 | 3.7 | 13.5 | 4.0 |
| Infant death | 330 | –10.3 | 3.6a) | –8.9 |
| Marriage | 50 600 | –2.3 | 5.2 | –2.0 |
| Natural decrease | –40 100 | 18.0 | –4.1 | 18.3 |
a) Per thousand live births.