Armenian birth rate increases by 20%

Armenian birth rate has increased by 20% compared with 2005, Vanik
Babajanyan, head of the Demography Department of the Ministry of
Labour and Social Affairs, said, News Armenia reports.

The most efficient measure to support demography is financial aid of
over $1100 to families with three children. Armenia has a program to
provide housing for young families. The government increased financing
of the program from 4.3 to 4.7 billion drams. 425 families were
involved in the program on May 31.

Demographer Ruben Yeganyan disagrees with Babajanyan. He believes that
demography is going downhill.

Just over 10% of families have three or morechildren. Most families
hardly have a second child. The expert believes that families with two
children are the ones in need of more support.

The National Statistics Service of Armenia says that 37,499 people
were born in 2005, while 44,810 were born in 2010 (+19.5%).

10,251 were born in January-March 2011 (-3.9% compared with the same
period in 2010).