The population of the Czech Republic increased by 31.2 thousand in 2017. The threshold of 10.6 million inhabitants was exceeded. Both net migration and natural change contributed to the increase. In comparison with 2016, the number of live births and deaths was higher in 2017, as well as the number of marriages and divorces. The population has continued ageing.

According to the preliminary statistical balance the population of the Czech Republic increased from 10.579 to 10.610 million in 2017. Most of the total increase of 31.2 thousand persons was due to international migration, which balance amounted to 28.3 thousand. The number of live births exceeded the number of deaths by less than 3.0 thousand. As in the previous four years, the population increased the most markedly in the senior category. The population of the Czech Republic aged 65 and over exceeded 2.0 million in 2017, rising by 3% year-on-year. The mean age of the population increased from 42.0 to 42.2 years.

During 2017, 114.4 thousand children were born alive. This was the highest number of births since 2011. In the year-on-year comparison, the number of live births increased by 1.7 thousand, when more children were in the first, second and third or higher order. Children of married women (58.3 thousand) outnumbered children born outside marriage (56.1 thousand) again, however the share of live births outside marriage further increased to 49.0%. According to the preliminary calculations an increase of the total fertility rate has continued to the level around 1.67 child per woman in 2017. 

According to the preliminary data, a total of 111.4 thousand deaths occurred in 2017, by 3.7 thousand more than a year earlier and the most over the past twenty years. In January and February, when the influenza epidemic spread widely in the Czech Republic, the number of deaths exceeded 12,000 and 10,000 in the month. The smallest number of death was registered in July, when less than 8.4 thousand people died. In terms of five-year age groups, the most deaths of men were aged 70–74, and women were most often aged 85–89. A total of 304 children died in their first year of life, by 13 fewer than in 2016. The infant mortality rate decreased year-on-year from 2.8 to 2.7‰.

In the year-on-year comparison, the number of marriages was higher in 2017. The inhabitants of the Czech Republic entered into 52.6 thousand marriages, which was 1.8 thousand more than in 2016 and this number was the highest one in the last ten years. There were more marriages of single, divorced and widowed persons. The highest monthly number of marriages was in July, the lowest one in January. The most common age of grooms was 30 and of brides 27. In the case of higher order marriages, grooms and brides were mostly 43 years old.

According to the received data, a total of 25.8 thousand marriages were divorced in 2017, by 0.8 thousand more than in 2016. Divorces with minors (15.2 thousand) outnumbered divorces without minors (10.6 thousand). The most numerous group of divorced couples with minors (7.7 thousand) were married couples with one minor child at the time of divorce. Altogether, divorces concerned 23.8 thousand children. The divorce rate was the highest in the time of three to six years of marriage. According to the preliminary results, the total divorce rate increased from 45% to 47% in the year-on-year comparison. The mean duration of divorced marriage was 13.2 years.

The preliminary results of processing shows that the total number of abortions in 2017 was 35.0 thousand, almost 1.0 thousand lower than in 2016. The number of induced abortions was 19.4 thousand and accounted for 55% of all abortions. The number of spontaneous abortions was 14.2 thousand and they made 41% of total. Regarding the age of woman at abortion, the highest number of abortions concerned women aged 32 years.

In 2017, a total of 46.0 thousand persons immigrated from abroad to the Czech Republic; it was by 8.5 thousand more than in 2016. In the opposite way the number of people migrated from the Czech Republic was 17.7 thousand, by 0.2 thousand higher than a year earlier. Net migration amounted to 28.3 thousand and it was the highest since 2010. As far as the international migration is concerned, the Czech Republic's population grew most of all by the nationals of Ukraine (7.7 thousand), who contributed to the overall year-on-year increase of the net migration from one half. The second highest net migration was with nationals of Slovakia (4.4 thousand).
 

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Notes:

All data refer to the resident population of the Czech Republic, irrespective of citizenship. Since 2001 (in relation to the 2001 Population and Housing Census) the data include also foreigners with visa for stay over 90 days (pursuant to the Act No 326/1999 Sb) and foreigners with asylum granted (pursuant to the Act No 325/1999 Sb). Since 1 May 2004, in accordance with the Act No 326/1999 Sb, as amended, data apply also to EU nationals with temporary residence on the territory of the Czech Republic and third- country nationals with long-term residence permit. The data contain also information on events (marriages, births, and deaths) of Czech citizens with the permanent residence in the Czech Republic that occurred abroad.

All data for 2017 are preliminary.

Responsible manager: Mgr. Robert Šanda, director of Population Statistics Department, tel. +420 274 052 160, e-mail: robert.sanda@czso.cz
Contact person: Mgr. Michaela Němečková, Demographic Statistics Unit, tel. +420 274 052 184, e-mail: michaela.nemeckova@czso.cz
Data source:
Demographic statistics - results of processing statistical reports of Obyv series
Divorces - Information system of the Ministry of Justice of the CR
Migration data - Information System of Inhabitants Records (Ministry of the Interior of the CR) and Alien Information System (Directorate of Alien Police)
Abortions - Institute of Health Information and Statistics of the CR
End of data collection: 7 March 2018
Related publication: 130062-17 Population of the Czech Republic – year 2017
https://www.czso.cz/current-product/41180
Next News Release: 12 June 2018

This press release was not edited for language.