ARMENIA REPORTS INSIGNIFICANT POPULATION INCREASE

Armenpress
Feb 14 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, ARMENPRESS: Armenia reported today a slight
increase in overall population number last year saying it grew by
3,600 people to 3, 222,700.

Chairman of the Armenian National Statistical Committee Stepan
Mnatsakanian said last year 37,569 babies were born. He said the
figures are based on copies of birth certificates submitted by regional
registrars, but he added there are instances, mainly in remote rural
areas, where birth of babies is not registered.

Mnatsakanian said the number of registered marriages last year rose
1.6 percent to 16,997. But the number of granted divorces also rose
13.4 percent to 2,796. Thus, out of 1000 registered marriages 148
ended with divorce, he said. Over 95% of the population are ethnic
Armenians. In addition, Russians, Yezidis, Kurds, Greeks, and Assyrians
are among the minorities who call Armenia home.

Two third of the residents live in urban areas, while about one third
are in rural communities. The rapidly developing capital, Yerevan is
home to slightly over a million people. The average life expectancy
in Armenia is about 72 years.

Armenia has a relatively large Diasporas, 8 million by some estimates,
greatly exceeding the 3 million population of Armenia itself,
with communities existing across the globe. The largest Armenian
communities outside Armenia can be found in Russia, France, Iran,
the United States, Georgia, Syria, Lebanon, Argentina, and Ukraine.