Apart from the Skopje region, in all remaining 7 planned regions, during last year, a drastic negative trend in the population’s growth was registered which denotes a decrease in the number of births, and a rise of mortality rates, writes Portalb.mk. According to the demographics, this is a consequence of the health crisis that resulted in almost 5,500 deaths from COVID-19 and because of which the country was under lock-down both internally and externally. In 2020, the statistics showed a drop in the birthrate and a rise in the death rate at the level of the state.
The pandemic is taking its toll even in the demographics
During the problematic 2020, the statistics have shown a dramatic drop in the birthrate at the level of the state, of minus 6,724 persons. Unlike in 2019, during the last year, even the rural municipalities have entered the zone with negative population growth.
According to the analysts in the domain of statistics and demographics, this data shows that the health crisis had an impact on the country’s demographic structure.
“We had a pandemic that had a strong impact on the negative growth rate and this trend also encompassed the rural municipalities. This means that even they had faced the problem of the increased mortality rates and a decreased birthrate. I would stress two factors – the high mortality rate because of COVID-19 and secondly, the limitations in the movements we had. The people’s movements were limited and were even banned from traveling and there were no migrations that are also factors that are influencing the birthrates” said Demography expert Doncho Gerasimovski, one of the former directors of the State Statistical Office, for Portalb.mk.
And what do the latest statistics show? In 2020, only in the Skopje region, positive population growth of 36 persons was registered. The biggest negative population growth rate of almost 2,000 persons was registered in the Pelagonija region.
One of the factors that are determining this negative movement was the limited migration. As a result, last year 2,920 persons who ether moved in or out were registered, while in 2019, this number was 3,174 people. The demographics state that this trend of negative population growth is continuing during this year in the first economic quarter, apart from several municipalities such as Arachinovo, Želino, and Lipkovo.
“Definitively, the year 2020 is a characteristic year where a negative demographic trend was evidenced. According to initial data, even in Macedonia during this year, around 70 municipalities are facing negative population growth. This is a problem not only for Macedonia but for the region as well. In Serbia for example, the negative population growth in the first 4 to 5 months was 43,000 and I expect these numbers to rise by the end of this year. This has been happening over a longer period of time and the pandemic only worsened the situation” analyzed Gerasimovski.
During the pandemic 2020, the mortality rate is rising, and the birthrate is dropping. As a result, during last year, 19,031 live births were registered which is 4,1% less compared to 2019. In the past 7 years or during the period starting from 2014 until now, each year, a decreased number of live births had been registered. In 2014, there were 23, 596 live births.
The highest number of live births in Skopje’s municipalities was registered in Chair and Aerodrom, and more than 1,000 live births were registered in the municipality of Tetovo. On the other hand, the statistics show that in the last year, the number of deceased was increased 26% compared to the year before and is 25,775 deceased.
The immigration trend, especially among the younger population, according to analysts, remains a key factor that will still be changing the country’s demographic map with all expected consequences such as the decrease of the population’s natural growth rate.
