Natural increase in a population occurs when the birth rate is greater than the death rate; that is, when there are more births than deaths in the population in a given period. Natural decrease occurs when the death rate is greater than the birth rate.

In the first eight months of the year, 60,418 children were born, 0.2% less than in the equivalent period of last year, while the number of deaths was 82,564, 8.9% fewer compared to the same period a year earlier, the KSH reported.

The number of births declined to a smaller extent while the number of deaths decreased considerably, the KSH explained in its report, meaning that the natural decrease slowed from 30,073 in January–August 2015 to 22,146 persons in the first eight months of 2016, a decline of 26%.

The 36,026 marriages registered in the first eight months of the year exceeded significantly, by 9.2%, the value a year earlier, the KSH revealed. There were 9.2 live births and 12.6 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants, the KSH added.