Population change - 2. quarter of 2004
Do women still put off childbirth?
Publication Date: 22. 09. 2004
Product Code: r-4001-04
(not edited for language)
The period of January-June 2004 saw the population rising by more than 2 thousand, which resulted only from positive net migration. The number of births kept on increasing. However, the level of fertility remains still very low. The number of marriages entered into in the first half of 2004 was a bit lower than in the corresponding period of the previous year, on the contrary, the number of divorces increased.
Preliminary results of the statistical balance indicate the population to have increased by 2 thousand inhabitants in the first half of 2004. The total population of the Czech Republic as of 30 June 2004 stood at 10 213.5 thousand, of which females accounted for 5 237.9 thousand. The population increase was due to positive net migration in the first six months of 2004: the number of immigrants was by 6.3 thousand higher than the number of emigrants (most migrants are migrants with long-term stay, i.e. the stay based on visas over 90 days). However, the net migration was by more than 3 thousand down on the corresponding period of the previous year. Natural decrease (the difference between the number of live births and deceased persons) was 4.3 thousand in the first half of this year. It was 2.5 times less than in the first half of 2003.
The number of marriages entered into in the first six months was nearly the same as in the corresponding period of 2003. The number of marriages in 2003 was the lowest since the World War 1 (less than 50 thousand marriages). On the contrary, the number of divorces registered in the period of January-June 2004 was by 1.4 thousand up on the period of January-June 2003. The year 2003 was the record-breaking year in case of total number of divorces as well. However, the numbers of divorces and divorce rate have been already increasing for few decades (with exception of short-term interruption in 1999-2000 resulted from the amendment to the Family Act) and data for the first six months of 2004 show further continuation of this trend.
The number of live births in the first half of this year was by 2.2 thousand up on the same period of the previous year. An increasing tendency of the annual number of births (the minimum was reached in 1999) is mainly connected with the fact, that in the age of high fertility level are plentiful generations of women born in 1970’s. Some of these women have given birth to a child, which previously had postponed. However, the estimates of the completed fertility rate of these generations of women indicate, that the number of live births per female will be significantly lower in comparison to the previous generations. The estimate of the total fertility rate for 2004 shows the exceeding of the level of 1.2 children per 1 female in her childbearing age. The average age of women at birth of first child continued to rise (over 26 in 2004; the average age of women at first childbearing was 22.5 at the beginning of 1990’s). The share of extra-marital live births stood at over 30 per cent in the first six months of 2004. It was 27 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year.
The number of deceased persons stood at 53.1 thousand in the first half of this year. It was by 4.6 thousand down on the same period of 2003. However, the number of deaths in 2003 was influenced by flu epidemic (February-March). The number of infant deaths and the infant mortality rate in the period of January-June2004 corresponded with level of the same period a year ago. Preliminary data show infant mortality rate 3.6 per mille (the number of deaths within one year of age per 1 000 live births).
The favourable trend of abortions or legally induced abortions continued. There were registered 13.7 thousand legally induced abortions in the first six months of 2004. The total number of abortions was 20.4 thousand.
Note
Data source: Demographic statistics – results of processing statistical reports of Obyv series (notifications of the entry into marriage, of birth, of death, of divorce, and of migration); Institute of Health Information and Statistics (data on abortions); Alien and Border Police Service (data on foreigners with permanent residence and with residence based on 90-day+ visas and data on foreigners granted asylum).
All the data for the first half of 2004 are preliminary; they are gradually updated one month after another.
Related publications:
4001-04 Population of the Czech Republic in January – June 2004 (https://csu.gov.cz)
4001-03 Population of the Czech Republic in January – June 2003 (https://csu.gov.cz)
4007-04 Population Trends in the Czech Republic 2003 (https://csu.gov.cz)
4003-04 Age Distribution of the Population of the Czech Republic 2003 (https://csu.gov.cz)
Contact: Miroslav Šimek, phone (+420) 274052184, e-mail simek@gw.czso.cz