The Czech Republic is facing an unprecedented demographic shift as the country’s population dropped by 3,318 people in the first three quarters of this year. According to the Czech Statistical Office, the nation’s population stood at 10,897,237 by the end of September, marking a historic natural decrease.
Michaela Němečková from the demographic statistics department reports a consistent monthly pattern of deaths exceeding births throughout the year. This natural population decline reached a staggering 18,300 people over nine months, setting a new record. The situation appears particularly concerning with only 64,236 births recorded – an 8% decrease year-over-year – compared to 82,550 deaths.
Immigration partially offsets these numbers, with 98,520 people moving to the Czech Republic while 83,524 left. This migration pattern shows a significant shift from last year’s positive migration balance of 74,000 people, partly due to many Ukrainian refugees’ temporary residence permits expiring in March.
Prague stands as a lone bright spot in this demographic landscape, being the only region where births outnumbered deaths, showing a natural increase of 378 people. The capital city, along with the Central Bohemian and South Moravian regions, experienced overall population growth when accounting for migration.
The social landscape also reveals interesting patterns, with 38,097 marriages celebrated while 46.8% of children were born outside of marriage.