The Statistical Service announces that it has published the Demographic Report for 1999. The report gives, inter alia, an account of population developments and provides data on a time series basis on fertility, mortality, marriages and divorces.

2. The most salient demographic developments during 1999 can be summarised as follows:

The population in the Government controlled area is estimated at 666.800 at the end of 1999 recording an increase of 0,5% over the previous year. It is estimated that 69,8% of the population resides in urban areas, while in the rural areas lives 30,2% of the total.

In 1999 the number of births in the Government controlled area of Cyprus was 8.505 compared to 8.879 in 1998, giving a crude birth rate of 12,8 per thousand population in 1999 compared to 13,4 in 1998. Similarly, the total fertility rate, which gives the mean number of children per woman decreased to 1,83 in 1999 from 1,92 in 1998. The total fertility rate decreased during the last four years to a level below the replacement level of 2,10.

The number of deaths reached 5.070 in 1999 compared to 5.432 in 1998. The infant mortality rate is estimated at 6 infant deaths per thousand live births. Life tables for the period 1998-1999 put the expectation of life at birth at 75,3 years for males and 80,4 for females.

In 1999 the number of marriages increased to 9.080 from 7.738 in 1998. Ecclesiastical marriages increased from 3.647 in 1998 to 3.932 in 1999, and civil marriages increased from 4.091 to 5.148. Only 103 cases of civil marriages concerned marriages between Cypriots.

In 1999 the number of divorces increased to 1.193 from 852 in 1998. The total divorce rate which shows the proportion of marriages that are expected to end up in divorce was in 1999 208 per 1.000 marriages, while in 1980 it was only 42. This means that presently one marriage in five ends up in divorce.

It is estimated that in 1999 the net migration balance was approximately nil, as the number of immigrants (Cypriot and foreigners arriving for settlement or for temporary employment for more than one year) was roughly the same as the number of emigrants from Cyprus

3. The Demographic Report is available from the Government Printing Office in Nicosia at the price of £7,00.