7,759 children born and 16,379 people lose their lives in March
In March 2021, 7,759 children were born and 16,379 people died according to preliminary data. Compared to March 2020, the number of live births rose by 9.5% and that of deaths by 40%. 5,135 couples got married, which was 5.1% more than in the same period of the previous year. In terms of the trends of vital events in the last twelve months, i.e. between April 2020 and March 2021, the number of births was 1.9% and that of deaths 17% higher and the number of marriages 6.2% lower compared to one year earlier.
In March 2021:
A total of 7,759 children were born, which was 9.5% or 674 more than in March 2020. This has been the highest number of births in March since 2010.
16,379 people lost their lives, which was 40% or 4,644 more than a year earlier1. The number of deaths in March has not been as high since the extremely high-peak flu epidemic of 1983, which may be due to the increased number of deaths caused by coronavirus infection.
The number of deaths rose significantly and that of births to a lesser extent, as a result of which the natural decrease went up by 85% and was 8,620 as opposed to 4,650 in March 2020.
The number of marriages increased; 5,135 couples got married, which was 5.1% or 247 more than in March 2020. The number of marriages in March has not been so high since 1986.
In January–March 2021:
22,254 children were born, which was 17 or 0.1% more than the number of births in January–March 2020. The leap-day-adjusted number of births was up more, by 1.2% compared to the same period of the previous year. Within this, there were 9.3% less live births in January, and 5.0% more in February and 9.5% more in March compared to the corresponding months of 2020.
The total fertility rate was estimated at 1.54 per female, compared with 1.50 for the first quarter of 2020.
There were 41,727 deaths, 20% or 7,072 more than one year earlier. Taking into account the leap-day effect, the increase in the number of deaths was higher in this period, at 22%. 17% more people died in January, 7.8% more in February and 40% more in March.
The number of deaths went up more significantly than that of births, as a result of which the natural decrease was 19,473 as opposed to 12,418 in the first three months of 2020, which was a rise of 57% or, according to leap-day-adjusted data, 59% compared to the same period of the previous year.
12,004 couples got married, which was 2.1% less or 262 fewer than a year earlier. The leap-day-adjusted number of marriages diminished by 0.9%. 3.1% less marriages were registered in January, 6.0% less in February and 5.1% more in March than in the corresponding months of 2020.
There were 9.3 live births and 17.4 deaths per thousand population. The rate of live births was 0.1 per mille point and that of deaths 3.1 per mille points higher than in January–March 2020, as a result of which the rate of natural decrease was up by 3.0 per mille points to 8.1 per mille. The number of infant deaths was 2.7 per thousand live births in the first three months of 2021, which was a decline of 1.1 per mille points compared to January–March of the previous year. The marriage rate was 5.0 per mille, which was slightly lower than in the same period of 2020.
Main data on vital events, January–March 2021
| Vital events | Number | Change compared to same period of previous year, % | Per thousand populationa) | Change compared to same period of previous year, % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live births | 22 254 | 0.1 | 9.3 | 1.4 |
| Deaths | 41 727 | 20.4 | 17.4 | 21.9 |
| Infant deaths | 60 | –29.4 | 2.7b) | –29.5 |
| Natural increase/decrease | –19 473 | 56.8 | –8.1 | 58.8 |
| Marriages | 12 004 | –2.1 | 5.0 | –0.9 |
a) The rates refer to the whole of the year in order to ensure comparability.
b) Per thousand live births.
The number of births went up in all regions compared to the same period of the previous year, except for the decreases recorded for Budapest (–10.4%) and Northern Hungary (–0.2%). The highest growths were in Southern Great Plain (6.3%) and Central Transdanubia (5.9%) and the lowest one in Pest Region (0.7%).
The number of deaths increased in all regions. The highest growth of 36% occurred in Southern Transdanubia and the lowest one of 9.1% in Budapest.
The natural decrease grew in all regions due to larger rises there in the number of deaths than in that of births. The largest increases were measured for Southern Transdanubia (81%) and Northern Great Plain (75%). The natural decrease went up to a lower extent in the remaining regions, the least in Southern Great Plain (39%), Central Transdanubia (41%) and Budapest (44%).
The number of marriages went down in five regions and rose in three. The highest growth occurred in Northern Great Plain (7.2%), and the highest decrease was in Budapest (–17%).
Main data on vital events by region, January–March 2021
| Region | Live births | Deaths | Natural increase/decrease | Marriages | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| number | change, %a) | number | change, %a) | number | change, %a) | number | change, %a) | |
| Budapest | 3 327 | –10.4 | 6 317 | 9.1 | –2 990 | 43.9 | 1 609 | –17.2 |
| Pest | 3 162 | 0.7 | 4 632 | 14.5 | –1 470 | 62.8 | 1 634 | –3.0 |
| Central Transdanubia | 2 391 | 5.9 | 4 820 | 21.1 | –2 429 | 41.1 | 1 441 | –1.6 |
| Western Transdanubia | 2 103 | 1.9 | 4 094 | 24.2 | –1 991 | 61.5 | 1 112 | –1.5 |
| Southern Transdanubia | 1 863 | 1.1 | 4 460 | 36.0 | –2 597 | 80.8 | 1 044 | –3.1 |
| Northern Hungary | 2 882 | –0.2 | 5 435 | 23.5 | –2 553 | 68.8 | 1 399 | 5.9 |
| Northern Great Plain | 3 740 | 4.0 | 6 252 | 24.2 | –2 512 | 75.1 | 2 116 | 7.2 |
| Southern Great Plain | 2 786 | 6.3 | 5 717 | 21.0 | –2 931 | 39.3 | 1 649 | 3.9 |
| Totalb) | 22 254 | 0.1 | 41 727 | 20.4 | –19 473 | 56.8 | 12 004 | –2.1 |
a) Compared to the same period of the previous year.
b) Including data which cannot be broken down by territorial unit.