On October 2 and 3, “Orbeli” analytical center organized “The Problems and Strategies for Improving the Socio-Demographic Condition in Armenia” international scientific-practical conference.

During the conference, the experts and scholars both from Armenia and abroad referred to the Demographic issues in Armenia.

Karine Kuyumjyan, Head of the Population Census and Demography Division of the Statistical Committee of Armenia, presented basic demographic statistics, according to which, the proportion of the elderly population reached 14% as of January 1, 2019. She mentioned that compared to 1991, the population decreased by 17% as a result of population outflow.

According to Irina Davtyan, Chief Deputy of the Migration Service of Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the RA, Armenia lost between 800 thousand and 1 billion people after declaring independence.

Hovhannes Aleksanyan, Head of the Department for Repatriation at the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, highlighted the importance of repatriation for improving the demographic condition, which is prevented by the gaps in the legal field and also by the social-economic condition in Armenia. He presented “Neruzh” and “Ojakh” programmes aimed at repatriation of Armenians and homeland reintegration.

Avtandil Sulaberidze, Director of the Institute of Demography and Sociology at Ilia State University in Georgia, presented the influence of Georgia’s visa liberalization to Europe on the demographic condition in Georgia.

Artak Markosyan, Head of the Demography Department at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia, emphasized that Armenia is one of the few countries, where the birth rate in rural areas is less than in cities. He presented programmes aimed at birth rate increase in Armenia by raising childbirth and childcare allowance, as well as providing mortgage loans to young families.

Gayane Avagyan, Head of Maternal and Reproductive health Department of RA Ministry of Health, stated that though the fertility rate (1.57) is low in Armenia, there are some positive trends, particularly the fact, that maternal mortality decreased twice and infant mortality decreased by 4 times compared to the 1990.

Tomas Sobotka, an expert from Vienna Institute of Demography, mentioned in his speech that families in Armenia wish to have more children than in any other European country.

Avag Avanesyan, RA Deputy Minister of the Economy, mentioned, that the Armenian Government is aware of the economic and other risks of population aging in Armenia over the last 28 years and according to UN forecasts, it will continue until 2050, and will gradually decline than. According to him, now there is a quite large cohort of people aged 20-44 in Armenia, who will become retirees in 30 years and the birth rate of the population do not provide a sufficient number for the next cohort. Therefore, the solution to this problem is the systematic increase in labor productivity in Armenia.

Anna Bagirova, Deputy Director for Research and Innovations at IPAE UrFU referred to the similarities of demographic problems in Russia and in Armenia. She emphasized that the increase of maternity status among the society has a great importance in the issue of increase in the birth rate. That’s why it is necessary to develop information, educational and cultural strategies.

Different scientific and educational institutions presented their thematic reports and proposals to address demographic issues on the next day of the conference, October 3.