Birth and mortality rates have decreased in Armenia, chief of Census and Demography Department at the National Statistical Service Karine Kuyumjyan said Tuesday, November 8.

According to her, the number of births amounted to 29,914 in the first 10 months of 2016, down by 2.3% against the same period last year. 20.427 deaths were registered in the reporting period, a drop of 2.5% year-on-year.

"The birth rate stands at 13.3 per 1000, with only Yerevan, the provinces of Ararat and Kotayk exceeding the average national index," Kuyumjyan said.

"The fertility rate has decreased in all the other provinces of the country. Death rates are the highest in the provinces of Lori, Tavush, Shirak and Vayots Dzor."

"Armenia is considered an aging country as there are increasingly more citizens of retirement age among our population. The United Nations says a country is aging if the number of elderly people exceeds 7% of the population; the elderly make up 10.9% of the overall populace," she added.