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The demographic indicators of Armenia are 'disturbing and unfavorable', Vanik Babajanyan, Head of the Demographic Division of the Armenian Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, told a news conference on Thursday.

“The number of permanent population keeps dropping. The population shrank by 13,200 people in 2017 compared to 2016. The birth rate stood at 37,700 last year, with the death rate down by more than 800,” the official said.

In parallel to this, the marriage rate has dropped, with a reverse trend observed in divorces.

“Marriages have declined by over 1000, with divorce cases rising by nearly 290,” he said.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Armenia Program Analyst, Tsovinar Harutyunyan unveiled fresh demographic statistics of the first quarter of 2018 compared to the same period last year.

“Birth rates have dropped by 300, and the population number has declined by around 12,000. It is pleasing that the number of marriages increased slightly by 36. Unfortunately, divorces have increased by 50,” the UN representative said, meantime adding the divorce rates have slowed down.

The first three months of 2018 saw 1021 divorces, with 972 such cases recorded in the same period of 2017 and 851 – in January-March 2016.