Population change - 1st - 3rd quarter of 2016

The population of the Czech Republic increased by 18.6 thousand to 10 572.4 thousand in the first three quarters of 2016. Almost one third of the population growth was due to positive natural change. In the year-on-year comparison the number of live births (85.4 thousand) was higher together with the significantly lower number of deaths (79.4 thousands). The net migration added a total of 12.6 thousand inhabitants. In the comparison with the previous year the numbers of marriages (43.4 thousand) and immigrants (27.6 thousand) were higher and also the numbers of divorces and emigrants slightly increased.

According to the preliminary statistical balance the population of the Czech Republic increased by 18.6 thousand to 10 572.4 thousand from 1 January to 30 September 2016. The population growth was mainly due to positive migration balance (12.6 thousand); almost one third of the total increase resulted from natural change, when the number of deaths was by 6.0 thousand lower than the number of live births.

During the first nine months in 2016 there were a total of 85.4 thousand live births; it was by 1.2 thousand more than in the same period in the previous year. In the year-on-year comparison the number of the first born children (41.8 thousand) was higher; on the contrary the number of children born in the second and higher order slightly decreased. The number of children born to unmarried mothers (41.5 thousand) constituted the entire growth; the number of children born to married women (44.0 thousand) slightly decreased. The share of live births outside marriage was 48.6% (it was by a percentage point higher than in the same period a year before). The most children were born to women aged 31 and 30; in the case of women, who gave a birth to their first child, the most women were at the age of 29.

According to the preliminary data there were 79.4 thousand deaths from 1 January to 30 September 2016. It was slightly more than in the same period in 2014, but it was by 5.0 thousand fewer than in 2015, when the number of deceased people in January-September period was the highest since 1998. The number of deceased men stood at 40.5 thousand, and deaths of women were 39.0 thousand. The average age of man at death was 72.2 year and 79.1 year among woman. A total of 239 children died during their first year of life; it was by 33 more than in the period January-September 2015. Also the infant mortality rate was higher (2.8‰); it was 2.4‰ in the same period a year before.

During the first three quarters in 2016 a total of 43.4 thousand marriages were entered into; it was by 1.7 thousand more than in the same period in 2015. The highest number of weddings was held in June (9.1 thousand). In the year-on-year comparison there were more marriages of single people as well as marriages of divorced or widowed. Both groom and bride entered into the first marriage in more than three quarters of weddings (68.9% and 29.9 thousand). A total of 10.0 thousand men and 9.5 thousand women entered into their second or higher order marriage. 

During the first nine months in 2016 the Czech courts issued 19.2 thousand decisions about divorces. It was nearly the same number as in 2015. A total of 17.6 thousand children were affected by parents’ divorce; families with minors represented a total of 11.3 thousand divorced families (59.2%). Divorces in the ninth year of duration were the most frequent, reflecting higher number of marriages entered into in 2007. But, the highest divorce intensity was in duration interval from the fourth to the sixth year. The average duration of marriage at divorce was 14.8 year.

According to the preliminary data 27.6 thousand people immigrated to the Czech Republic from abroad during the period January-September 2016, of which 15.3 thousand were men and 12.4 thousand were women. The immigrants were mostly citizens of Slovakia and Ukraine. In the same period 15.1 thousand people (8.0 thousand men and 7.1 thousand women) emigrated from the Czech Republic. The most frequent emigrants were citizens of the Czech Republic, Ukraine and Russia. The balance of net migration was positive and amounted to 12.6 thousand; it was by 2.4 thousand higher than in the first three quarters in 2015. The highest positive migration balance was registered with citizens of Slovakia (4.0 thousand), Ukraine (1.7 thousand) and Romania (1.1 thousand).

This press release was not edited for language.