The population decline has significantly slowed down in August this year, and the trend has continued in September, according to data published by the National Statistics Institute (INS).

A total of 18,332 babies were born in September 2016, 1,453 (8.6%) more than in the same month the previous year. Meanwhile, 18,989 people died in September this year, 460 more than in the same period of 2015.

Thus, Romania’s natural decline (the number of live births minus number of deaths) went down to 657 people in September 2016, from 1,650 in September 2015.

The infant mortality also went down both month-on-month and year-on-year, the INS data shows. A total of 101 children aged under 1 died in September this year, 19 fewer than in August 2016, and 12 fewer than in September 2015.

Over 141,400 babies were born in Romania in the first nine months of this year, 2.5% fewer than in the same period the previous year. The number of deaths also decreased by 4%, to 188,000. The natural decline was thus lower in the first nine months of 2016 (46,500) compared to the same period of 2015 (50,900).

More than 203,000 babies were born in Romania in 2015, some 10% more compared to 2014. Last year was the second consecutive year when the number of births in the country increased, after reaching a record low of 176,000 in 2013.

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Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com