YEREVAN. – In line with official data, 19,569 babies were born in Armenia in the first three months of this year, and this is a 5.7-percent drop from last year’s indicator; this is the lowest number in the past four years. In parallel to this, the number of deaths has increased, Haykakan Zhamanak daily writes.    

“According to the same official data, 17,953 people died in Armenia in the first three months of this year. This mortality indicator is the highest at least in the past ten years. At the same time, the mortality rate is growing every year.  

In fact, the number of births in Armenia is slowly declining, whereas [that of] deaths, is increasing. This and emigration, which is reaching terrible proportions, are a reflection of the country’s socioeconomic and moral and psychological condition; and this makes it apparent that we are dealing with the herald of a demographic disaster,” Haykakan Zhamanak writes.