INS: Romania's population, negative natural growth in April 2020

Romania recorded negative natural growth of population in April 2020, with 9,714 more persons having died than born-alive infants, compared with March 2020, the National Statistics Institute (INS) reported on Thursday.

The number of live births was 12,098 in April 2020, by 241 higher compared with March. The number of deceased was 21,812, in April 2020, smaller by 779 compared with March 2020.

The number of children under 1 year who died in April 2020 was 94, higher by 11 compared with March 2020.

There were recorded 1409 marriages in April 2020, by 2644 less than in March 2020. The number of divorces pronounced by final court decisions and in accordance with Law No 202/2010 was 1381 in April 2020, by 508 less compared with March 2020.

"The health crisis also showed its effects more clearly on the demographic phenomena, with slightly less birth being recorded against the previous year and more deaths, in April," mentioned the same release.

"For a complete picture of the demographic phenomena as seen in March-April 2020, in the context of the COVID19 pandemic, we must consider the fact that the provisions of the military ordinances introduced certain limits in the possibility of carrying out some events with more than three persons. The authorities also banned people from leaving the house and the locality except for a few reasons, suspended activities in enclosed areas, determined the Notary Public Union to delay the terms for the divorce files for the period after the end of the state of emergency. Moreover, the data must also be interpreted in correlation with the information coming from various administrative sources, especially those published by the Ministry of Health, through the National Public Health Institute," said the INS.