YEREVAN. – Birth rate in Armenia dropped in 2017, the head of demography department at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs Vanik Babajanyan told reporters on Thursday.

Overall, 37,700 babies were born in Armenia in 2017, as compared to 40,000 babies in 2016, the expert noted.

“The dynamics of Armenia's demographic indicators over the past two years is worrisome and unfavorable,” Vanik Babajanyan said.

According to the stats, the permanent population of Armenia decreased by 13,200 in 2017, while the mortality indicators slightly improved as the number of deaths last year decreased by over 800.

As for the statistics over the rates of marriages and divorces, the expert noted: “The number of marriages decreased by 1,000. Meanwhile, the number of divorces increased by 290.”

The negative balance of passenger transportation was significantly reduced, said the expert adding that the indicator in 2017 was 26,000 as compared to 48,000 in 2016.

Tsovinar Harutyunyan, executive representative of UNFPA Armenian Office, provided data for the first quarter of 2018.

According to her, the number of births decreased by 300, while the population decreased by 12 thousand.

The dynamics of the birth rate is constantly declining, she said. Tsovinar Hrutyunyan recalled that in 1990 there were 80,000 newborns.

“According to our forecasts, the number of births will reduce to 25,000 until 2024 , but the figure will increase to 31,000 until 2050,” she concluded.