10 August, Minsk /Elena Prus - BELTA/. According to operational data, the population of Belarus as of July 1 this year amounted to 9,467.9 thousand people, the National Statistical Committee informed a BELTA correspondent. Compared to January 1 this year, the country's population decreased by 13.3 thousand people. The population reduction is due to an excess of deaths over births by 18,667 people, with a positive migration gain of 5,390 people (in January-June, 8,378 people arrived in Belarus, and 2,988 departed). The number of residents increased only in Minsk over the six months – from 1,864.1 thousand people on January 1, 2011, to 1,868 thousand people on July 1. In the other regions of the republic, the number of residents decreased in January-June. As a result, as of July 1, the Gomel region had 1,432.3 thousand people, the Minsk region – 1,409 thousand, the Brest region – 1,393.1 thousand, the Vitebsk region – 1,217.3 thousand, the Mogilev region – 1,084.2 thousand, and the Grodno region – 1,064 thousand people. In Belarus, 50,801 children were born in January-June this year – 2,100 fewer children compared to January-June 2010. The general birth rate for the six months across the republic was 10.8 per 1,000 residents (in the same period last year, it was 11.2). Among the country's regions, the highest rate this year is in the Brest region (11.8), and the lowest is in the Vitebsk region (9.6). In January-June, 69,468 people died – 822 more compared to January-June 2010. The general mortality rate for the six months across the republic was 14.8 per 1,000 population (in the corresponding period last year, it was 14.5). Among the country's regions, the highest rate this year is in the Vitebsk region (16.9), and the lowest is in Minsk (9.9). Infant mortality (children under 1 year of age) decreased from 4.2 per 1,000 births in January-June 2010 to 3.8 per mille in January-June 2011. -0-

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