Population change - 2nd half of 2007

The population of the Czech Republic increased to 10,325.9 thousands at 30 June 2007. It was not only due to the positive foreign migration (34.3 thousands). The natural increase of population by almost 4.5 thousands people was filled too. The increase of fertility and decrease of mortality continued. The numbers of marriages and abortions were comparable to previous years.
According to the results of the preliminary statistical balance the population of the Czech Republic stood at 10,325,941 as at 30 June 2007. Due to the increase in the number of live births and decrease in the number of deaths there was the natural increase of population by almost 4.5 thousands inhabitants during the first half-year of 2007. But the number of inhabitants rose mainly thanks to the positive foreign migration which amounted to 34.3 thousands. The total increase of population of the Czech Republic was 38.8 thousands in the first half-year of 2007.

The number of live births in the first half-year of 2007 was almost by 3.7 thousands children higher than in the same period of the previous year. Total 56.0 thousands of children were live born from January to June, such an amount was born last time in the first half-year of 1994. Total fertility rate reached 1.4 children per woman in childbearing age. The mean age of mothers grew by 0.1 to 29.0 years in total, the mean age of mothers at first birth stood at 26.9 years. Children were most frequently born to mothers from birth cohorts 1976 to 1978; the first child was most frequently born to mothers of generation 1979. The share of children born outside marriage continued to increase: it was recorded 34.1% of live births born outside marriage in analysed period. Among first births the figure was 44.1%.

Since 2007, the characteristics of father are recorded not only for marital births but also for non-marital births. From the total number of 19.1 thousands children born outside marriage there were no information for 30%, in 70% cases the information about father was filled. The proportion of extra-marital children as well as the proportion of missing information about father goes down with increasing level of education of mother. The mean age of fathers was 32.5 years in the first half-year of 2007. So the gap between the mean age of fathers and mothers was 3.5 years.

There were registered 51.5 thousands deaths in the first half-year of 2007, i.e. by 1.4 thousands less than in the same period of the previous year. One half of all deaths was caused by the diseases of the circulatory system, 26% by neoplasms and 6% by the diseases of the respiratory system. Other 6% of deaths were in consequence of accidents and poisonings. Since 2007 the place of death is recorded: 69% people died in a hospital or medical institution, 16% people at home. The infant mortality stayed at very low level, according the preliminary statistic 3.1 infants died per 1,000 live births. There were registered 117 deaths of infants not older than 28 days. So neonatal mortality rate descended to 2.1‰.

The number of marriages concluded during the first six months of 2007 was almost same as in the same period of year 2006, the nuptiality continued to be at low level; 21.4 thousands of couples were wed, from which 9.1 thousands in June. The period from January to May is the least popular period for weddings, while in June the number of marriages is generally higher.

The number of divorces fell under 16 thousands in the first half-year of 2007. But this figure is not fully comparable to previous years because since this year the divorces are classified not by the date of report but by the date of legal liability of the divorce.

The number of abortions performed in the first half-year of 2007 was by three hundreds higher than in the last year. From the total number of 20,570 abortions, 63% were induced abortions, which absolute number has decreased. On the contrary the number of spontaneous abortions as well as the number of ectopic pregnancies is slowly increasing during the last two years.

Registered external migration recorded 43.5 thousands of immigrants and 9.2 thousands of emigrants during analysed period. In comparison with previous years the number of immigrants increased along with the number of emigrants falling down. Thus the registered external migration added 34.3 thousands of inhabitants to the population of the Czech Republic, which is nearly the same value as in the whole year 2006 (34.7 thousands).

Since 2004 the increase of the number of foreigners is accelerating. Foreigners with Ukrainian citizenship formed 40% of immigrants, with net migration 13 thousands during the first half-year of 2007. The high net migration was also reached with Slovakia and Vietnam, as usually. According to the data from Alien and Border Police there were 356,014 foreigners living legally in the Czech Republic as of 30 June 2007; i.e. 3.5% of population. Almost third of foreigners are citizens of Ukraine.

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Notes:
Contact person: Kryštof Zeman, PhD, phone: (+420)274054067, e-mail: krystof.zeman@csu.gov.cz
Data sources: Demographic statistics – results of processing statistical reports of Obyv series (notifications of the entry into marriage, of birth, of death, of divorce).
Migration data – Alien Information System (Alien and Border Police Service) and the Central Population Register Record (Ministry of Interior).
Abortions – Institute of Health Information and Statistics.
All data refer to the resident population of the Czech Republic, irrespective of citizenship. Since 2001, the figures include (in accordance with the Population and Housing Census 2001) foreigners with long-term stay (i.e., the stay based on visa over 90 days, as stipulated by Act No. 326/1999 Coll.) and foreigners with granted asylum status (in compliance with Act No. 325/1999 Coll.). Since 1st May 2005, in accordance with amendment No. 326/1999 Coll., the figures include citizens of the European Union with temporary stay on the territory of the Czech Republic, and citizens of other countries with long-term stay. The data contain also information on events (marriages, births and deaths) of permanent residents of the Czech Republic that occurred abroad.
All results for 2007 are preliminary.
Related publications: 4001-07 Population of the Czech Republic in 2007
4001-06 Population of the Czech Republic in 2006