Immigration drops significantly in 2009

Last year, the Czech Republic saw a growth in population of about 40,000, according to data published by the Czech Statistical Office on Monday. The number of immigrants was seen to have dropped significantly compared to the previous year, when 70,000 immigrants arrived in the Czech Republic. Nonetheless, immigration was the main factor in population growth in 2009. The number of births outweighed the number of deaths by about 11,000. The data also confirmed the end of the baby boom that the country saw between 1999 and 2009. Overall, more babies are born out of wedlock, with a trend of motherhood later in life. The average age at which Czech women became mothers in 2009 was 29, as opposed to 27 in the previous year.