In the Vitebsk region, an improvement in the demographic situation has been observed in January-April

June 9, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. The demographic situation in the Vitebsk region has improved based on the results of January-April, the Committee for Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee informed a BELTA correspondent. In total, 4,096 babies were born in the region during the reporting period, or 100.4% compared to the same period last year. The largest number of children were born in Ushachi (55%, or 131% compared to January-April 2009), Beshenkovichi (65%, or 130%), Postavy (129%, or 120.6%), Dokshitsy (101%, or 123.2%), Glubokoye (131%, or 115.9%), and Braslav districts (88%, or 118.9%). Fewer children were born in January-April this year than last year in Orsha, Gorodok, Lepel, Liozno, Miory, Orsha, Polotsk, Rossony, Senno, Chashniki, Sharkovshchina, and Shumilino districts. Fewer marriages were registered in January-April this year. 2.4 thousand marriages were concluded, or 98%. "However, this fact is more likely due to superstitions and traditions: winter and early spring are considered unfavorable periods for concluding marriage unions among Slavs, so most young people prefer to exchange rings in the summer and autumn," specialists noted. The number of deaths in the Vitebsk region over four months was 7,000 people, or 99.2% compared to the same period last year. At the same time, in the structure of mortality from external causes, 21% are due to alcohol poisoning, 17.7% are suicides, and 6.7% are deaths in road traffic accidents. Meanwhile, despite the overall positive trend in the region's demographic situation, the northernmost region ranks last in the republic in terms of the number of births per 1,000 population (10.2 compared to the national average of 11.2) and first in terms of the number of deaths per 1,000 population (17.4 versus 14.9, respectively), the committee stated. -0-