YEREVAN. – The last years of the Soviet Union were the best demographic period for Armenia, demographer Ruben Yeganyan said at a press conference on Friday.

He noted that between the 1970s and the 1980s, Armenia had secured a moderate natural growth of population, as the average birth rate was 2.5 per family, as compared to 2.1 which is necessary for natural reproduction.     

“The [present-day] reduction [in the average birth rate in Armenia] is still primarily due to depopulation. Several years later, however, the natural reduction will be to blame in this. At present, this indicator is a mere 1.5. The number of deaths exceeds the number of successful births,” Yeganyan noted.