YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, NOYAN TAPAN. In 2005 the number of Armenia's permanent population increased by 3.6 thousand and in late 2005 made 3219.4 thousand people. 2062.7 thousand out of them are townspeople and 1156.7 thousand live in villages. As Stepan Mnatsakanian, Head of RA National Statistical Service, informed at the February 22 press conference, decrease of the birth-rate was noticed last year: 37509 birthes were registered in 2005 against 37520 in 2004. By the way, in 2005 like the previous years the names "Narek" (864) and "Ani" (692) prevailed among those given to newly-born babies. S.Mnatsakanian said that 26278 cases of death were registered in 2005 against 25679 in the previous year. According to the National Statistical Service head, 460 cases of death of children below 1 year were registered in 2005 in the country, which increased by 30 compared with the previous year. 6 cases of maternal death were registered against 10 cases in the previous year. The number of marriages registered in 2005 decreased by 2.1% compared with the previous year and made 16623 and the number of divorces increased by 25.3% and made 2466.

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