Published on: 26 March 2019

Fewer births, more deaths and higher natural decrease

According to preliminary data in January 2019, 5.5% fewer children was born than in the same month a year earlier. The number of deaths increased significantly by 19% compared to January 2018. As a result, in the first month of 2019, natural decrease was 6,426, which is 2,603 more than in January of the previous year.

In January 2019:

7,364 children were born, 5.5% or by 427 infants fewer than in the first month of 2018.

The estimated total fertility rate was 1.44 per woman per month, compared with the value of 1.50 calculated for the same month of the previous year.

13,790 people lost their lives, which is significantly, by 19% or numerically 2,176 more than a year earlier. The fact that this year the peak of the flu epidemic was earlier than last year may have been in the background of the notable mortality surplus.

The number of deaths significantly rose and that of births dropped, as a result of which, the natural decrease was 6,426 as opposed to 3,823 in January 2018, which meant an increase of 68%.

The registered 1,436 marriages were by 76 (5.0%) fewer, than the figure in January 2018.

There were 8.9 live births and 16.6 deceases per thousand inhabitants, the former was 0.5 per mille point lower, and the latter was 2.6 per mille points higher than in the same month of 2018. As a result, the natural decrease in January this year rose from 4.6 to 7.8 per mille. The number of infant deaths was 3.5 per thousand live births, which meant an increase of 1.2 per mille points year-on-year. The marriage rate was 1.7 per mille, 0.1 per mille point lower than the value of January 2018.

Main data of vital events, January 2019

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 birth7 364–5.58.9–5.3
Death13 79018.716.618.9
Infant death2644.43.5a)52.8
Natural increase / decrease–6 42668.1–7.868.4
Marriage1 436–5.01.7–4.9

a) Per thousand live births.