Population change - 1st quarter of 2024

According to the population balance of the CZSO, the population of Czechia as at 31 March included 10.86 million persons. "At the end of the first quarter of this year, the population of Czechia was 41 thousand lower than at the beginning of the year, thus decreased back below the 10.9 million mark. The population decline was caused mainly by the high number of emigrants, a large part of whom were persons whose granted temporary protection expired at the end of March and did not apply for its prolongation. Thus, international migration ended in the first quarter with a negative balance of −31.8 thousand persons," said Michaela Němečková from the Demographic Statistics Unit of the Czech Statistical Office. The number of persons who moved abroad was 62.3 thousand, ten times more than in the first quarter of 2023. The number of immigrants from abroad to Czechia was 30.5 thousand, which was 8.2 thousand less year-on-year, but still representing a double of the average number for the first quarter of 2017–2021.

Figure Population change of 1st quarter of 2023 and 2024

More than one-fifth of the population decline was caused by the excess of deaths over live births. This has been recorded regularly in the first quarter of the year since 2011. The largest (−19 thousand) natural decline was in January-March 2021, while this year there were more deaths than live births by 9.2 thousand during the first quarter. The number of live births during January-March reached 20.3 thousand and was lower by 2.6 thousand (or 11%) year-on-year. The highest decrease in the number of births was in the 25–29 age group of women. A total of 47.8% of children were born outside marriage. The number of deaths reached 29.5 thousand and was 1.0 thousand (or 3%) lower than in the same period last year.

During the first quarter, a total of 3.2 thousand couples entered into marriage; it was 0.8 thousand (or one-fifth) fewer than a year earlier. According to preliminary data, there were 5.0 thousand divorces, of which 2.1 thousand were without minor children at the time of the divorce and 2.9 thousand with a minor child or children.