Population change - 4. quarter of 2004

According to the preliminary results the population of the Czech Republic as of 31 December 2005 stood at 10 220.6 thousand, of which females accounted for 5 236.7 thousand. The number of inhabitants increased by 9.1 thousand in 2004. The net migration stood at 18.6 thousand, the natural change at -9.5 thousand. The excess of deaths over live births has been a stable characteristic feature of demographic development in CR since 1994. The last year’s decrease was the lowest one, in comparison to 2003 it was reduced almost by half. This significant decrease in the lost of population by natural change was due to a higher number of live births and lower number of deceased persons in 2004. The net migration was by 7.2 thousand smaller than in 2003. The highest net migration reached Czech Republic with citizens of Ukraine (21.2 thousand), followed by Vietnam (3.7 thousand). Even if the net migration with Slovakia was negative (6.1 thousand), the Slovaks still remain the second largest group of foreigners having residence permit in Czech Republic.

There were registered 97.7 thousand live births in 2004, the highest record since 1995, when the number dropped below one hundred thousands for the first time. Deliveries when woman availed the possibility to give a birth to child in anonymity according to the Act No. 422/2004 Coll., which has been in force since 1 September 2004, were registered five. The total fertility rate for 2004 is estimated at 1.23 child per female in her childbearing age. Even though it is more than in the previous years (minimum 1.13 in 1999, 1.18 in 2003) the fertility of Czech women remains low from the long-term and international comparison view. The rise in mean age of women at first birth has continued. Is likely to reach 26.5 year in 2004. For comparison: it was close to 26 years in 2003, at the beginning of the nineties women gave a birth to the first child, on average, at the age of 22.5. Thus approximately by 4 years sooner than nowadays. The share of children born to non-married women has risen too. There were 29.8 thousand extra-marital births, which meant that 30.6 per cent of all live births were born outside marriage.

The number of deaths in 2004 was by 4.1 thousand lower than in the previous year. After three years of stagnation the renewal of decrease in mortality (which started at the end of eighties) is expected to come. The rise in life expectancy at birth is estimated for 0.4-0.5 year for both sexes. The lowest level shows infant mortality rate in 2004 (the mortality of children within 1 year of age). Its value, 3.7 per mille, belongs among the lowest ones in Europe.

After one year, the number of marriages entered into during one calendar year came back above fifty thousands in 2004. There were 51.4 thousand marriages registered in the last year. It was by 2.5 thousand more than in 2003. The level of nuptiality decreased in the first half of nineties and still remains low. Young people postpone the enter into marriage to later age; more often they also prefer to cohabit in consensual unions. As a consequence the share of extra-marital births rises. The number of divorces in 2004 exceeded the level of 33 thousand again (for the first time it was in 1996). Also the estimate of divorce-rate shows further continuation of its increase. Already 2003 was the record-breaking year in this respect. On condition that the divorce intensities by duration of marriage stay stable for the next approximately 35 years, 49 per cent of marriages will terminate by divorce and the average duration of marriage will stand at 12 years.

The favourable trend in abortion indicators continued also in 2004. The numbers of legally induced abortions and abortion rates have been decreasing year by year since 1988 (the maximum). Between 2003 and 2004 the number of legally induced abortions dropped by 1.7 thousand. The total number of abortions decreased by a little less than one thousand. There were registered 41.3 thousand abortions in 2004, of which legally induced abortions accounted for 27.6 thousand, miscarriages for 12.4 thousand and terminations of ectopic pregnancies and other abortions for 1.3 thousand.

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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 data for 2004 are preliminary; definitive results will be published after April 2005.

Related publications:

4001-04 Population of the Czech Republic in 2004
4001-03 Population of the Czech Republic in 2003
4003-04 Age Distribution of the Population of the Czech Republic 2003
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Contact: Terezie Kretschmerová, phone (+420) 274054063, e-mail terezie.kretschmerova@csu.gov.cz