YEREVAN. – The emigration from the Republic of Armenia (RA) consistently continues at a growing pace; 27,114 RA citizens emigrated from the country in the first quarter of this year, Chorrord Ishkhanutyun daily reported.

“According to the NSS [i.e. the National Statistical Service] data, 291,625 RA citizens left Armenia and 264,511 returned. In the first quarter of last year, the difference in number of RA citizens that left from Armenia and did not return was 28,447.

“The number of births this year [in Armenia] likewise has dropped, by 2 percent. [A total of] 9,452 children were born in 2015, whereas last year the number of births was 9,637.

“The number of permanent residents of Armenia has also declined. The number of permanent residents in Armenia totaled 3,012,400 as of April 1, 2014, whereas this year it became 3,006,800,” Chorrord Ishkhanutyun wrote.