Birth rate figures in Armenia to drop sharply as aftermath of 44-day war Statement by Armenian deputy minister

According to Armenian forecasts, only 36,000 children will be born in 2023 in the country compared to 37,000 in 2022.

As Caliber.Az reported citing Armenian media outlets, the country’s Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Narek Mkrtchyan, disclosed this development in the National Assembly during a joint session of the permanent parliamentary commissions discussing the draft state budget for 2023.

According to him, the forecast took the consequences of the 44-day war in 2020 into account. “World experience shows that immediately after the end of hostilities, as a rule, the growth rate of births is fixed, followed by an inevitable decline”, the minister stated.

The Deputy Minister, David Khachatryan, said that the number of births of the first and second children in Armenian families has also decreased. Nevertheless, he notes that housing program initiatives have increased the birth rate of the third and fourth child.

He also noted that in the first half of 2021, compared to the same period in 2020, the birth rate had increased by 8 to 9%.

Nevertheless, the annual indicator turned out to be disappointing - only 0.4%. According to the deputy minister, the birth rate situation sharply deteriorated after the war.