According to operational data, the population of Belarus as of August 1, 2011, amounted to 9,467.6 thousand people, the National Statistical Committee informed a BELTA correspondent. Compared to January 1, 2011, the country's population decreased by 13.6 thousand people. The population reduction is due to the excess of deaths over births by almost 20 thousand people, with a positive migration gain of 6,131 people (in January-July, 9,772 people arrived in Belarus, and 3,641 departed). The population increased over seven months only in Minsk, from 1,864.1 thousand people on January 1, 2011, to 1,867.2 thousand people on August 1. In the other regions of the republic, the population decreased in January-July. As a result, as of August 1, the Gomel region had 1,432.3 thousand people, the Minsk region - 1,409.4 thousand, the Brest region - 1,393.6 thousand, the Vitebsk region - 1,217.1 thousand, the Mogilev region - 1,083.9 thousand, and the Grodno region - 1,064.1 thousand people. In January-July 2011, 60,430 babies were born in Belarus, which is 2,087 fewer than in January-July 2010. The general birth rate for seven months across the republic was 11 per 1,000 residents (in the same period last year, it was 11.3 per mille). Among the regions, the highest rate in the current year was in the Brest region (12.1 per mille), and the lowest was in the Vitebsk region (9.7). In January-July, 80,202 people died, which is 67 fewer than in January-July 2010. The general mortality rate for seven months across the republic was 14.6 per 1,000 population (in the corresponding period last year, it was 14.5). Among the regions, the highest rate in the current year was in the Vitebsk region (16.6), and the lowest was in Minsk (9.8). Infant mortality (children under 1 year of age) decreased from 4.0 per 1,000 births in January-July 2010 to 3.8 per mille in January-July 2011. -0-

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