RUBEN YEGHANYAN: SECOND CHILD’S BIRTH SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED IN ARMENIA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
04.12.2009 18:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 50% of newly-born Armenian children are firstborns,
one-third are second children and 10% are comprised by third children.

"I believe, second child’s birth, and not the third one’s, should
be encouraged in Armenia to normalize demographic situation in the
country. People these days, often disagree to have even the second
child," ethnographer Ruben Yeghanyan said at Friday’s news conference
in Yerevan.

Recent birth rate increase is mistakenly taken for high birth index
by some experts, Ruben Yeghanyan believes. The children born in 1980s
have now reached the reproductive age. What the experts did not take
into account is that children born in 1990s, when a dramatic slump
in birth rate was registered, will soon reach the reproductive age.

At this rate, in several years Armenia will face a demographic crisis,
with mortality rate prevailing over birthrate.

To avoid this situation, Ruben Yeghanyan noted, a correct demographic
policy, requiring large-scale scientific research and significant
expenditures is needed.