YEREVAN. – According to official data, the number of those who departed from Armenia in 2013 is more than those who arrived in the country by about 42 thousand, Chorrord Ishkhanutyun newspaper reported.  

“At first glance it might seem this is the official indicator of emigration but, in reality, this is not so. The 42 thousand is the number of those people who permanently left the country.

“The real emigration picture is quite different because hundreds of thousands of people head to Russia in the spring and return in December, but the official statistics does not count this as emigration.

“[But] studying the overall passenger flow [to and from Armenia], the picture is as follows: In 2013, those who arrived in Armenia and those who departed from Armenia have increased by about 18 percent. In other words, the number of [Armenia’s] migrant workers increased by about 18 percent last year.     

“As for the ‘official’ emigration of 42 thousand, the NSS [Armenian National Statistical Service] notes that this number dropped by 15.4 percent as compared to 2012.

“In fact, about 50 thousand people ‘officially’ emigrated from Armenia in 2012,” Chorrord Ishkhanutyun wrote.