More births and fewer deaths
In the first half of 2020, the number of births was 5.5% more and that of deaths 5.5% less than in the corresponding period of 2019 according to preliminary data. As a result, the natural decrease declined by 23% or 6,024 compared to the first half of 2019. In June 2020, the number of live births increased by 8.2% and that of deaths went down by 6.8% compared to the same month of the previous year. The natural decrease of 1,645 in June was 43% lower than a year earlier.
In June 2020:1
7,679 children were born, which was 583 or 8.2% more than in June 2019.
9,324 people lost their lives, which was 677 fewer or 6.8 % less than a year earlier.
Due to the decline in the number of deaths and the rise in the number of births, the natural decrease over the month was 1,645 as opposed to 2,905 in June 2019, which was a decrease of 43%.
The number of marriages went down; 5,906 couples got married, 24% less or 1,819 fewer than in June 2019.
In January–June 2020:
44,250 children were born, which was 2,291 or 5.5% more than the number of births in January–June 2019. Within this, the number of live births was 8.8% more in January–February and 2.3% more in March–May and 8.2% more in June compared to the corresponding months of 2019.
The total fertility rate was estimated at 1.50 per female, compared with 1.41 for the first six months of 2019.
There were 64,302 deaths, 5.5% less or 3,733 fewer than one year earlier. In January–February, 13% fewer and in March–April, 1.8% more people died than a year earlier. Thereafter, the number of deaths fell again by 1.0% in May and by 6.8% in June.
As a result of the decline in the number of deaths and the rise in the number of births, the natural decrease was 20,052 as opposed to 26,076 in January–June 2019, which was a decline of 23%.
26,792 couples got married, which was 11% or 2,704 more marriages. 101% more marriages were registered in January–March and 8.9% more in April, while 26% less in May–June than in the corresponding months of 2019. The lower growth in April and the decrease in May–June may have been owing to restrictive measures on group events, introduced because of the Covid-19 epidemic.
There were 9.1 live births and 13.2 deaths per thousand population. The former was 0.4 per mille point higher and the latter 0.8 per mille point lower compared to the period of January–June 2019. As a result of all this, the 4.1 per mille rate of natural decrease was 1.3 per mille points lower than one year earlier. The number of infant deaths was 3.8 per thousand live births in January–June 2020, which was a decrease of 0.1 per mille point compared to January–June of the previous year. The marriage rate was 5.5 per mille, 0.5 per mille points more compared to the same period of 2019.
Main data on vital events, January–June 2020
| Vital events | Number | Change compared to same period of previous year, % | Per thousand population | Change compared to same period of previous year, % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live births | 44 250 | 5.5 | 9.1 | 5.2 |
| Deaths | 64 302 | –5.5 | 13.2 | –5.7 |
| Infant deaths | 170 | 2.4 | 3.8a) | –2.9 |
| Natural increase/decrease | –20 052 | –23.1 | –4.1 | –23.3 |
| Marriages | 26 792 | 11.2 | 5.5 | 10.9 |
a) Per thousand live births.
The number of births went up in all regions compared to the first half of the previous year, the most in Northern Hungary and Northern Great Plain (by 12% and 9.6%, respectively) and the least in Budapest and Central Transdanubia (by 0.6% and 1.2%, respectively).
The number of deaths decreased in all regions, at the highest rate in Northern Hungary and Southern Transdanubia (by 9.0% and 7.8%, respectively) and at the lowest rate in Budapest and Western Transdanubia (by 0.3% and 3.4%, respectively).
The rate of natural decrease lessened – due to a decline in the number of deaths and a rise in the number of births – in all regions. The largest decreases were registered for the regions of Pest, Northern Great Plain, and Northern Hungary (46%, 39% and 38%, respectively).
The number of marriages rose in all regions except Budapest: the most in Southern Great Plain and Northern Great Plain (by 29% and 23%, respectively). In Budapest 9.7% fewer couples got married than a year earlier.
Main data on vital events by region, January–June 2020
| Region | Live births | Deaths | Natural increase/decrease | Marriages | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| number | change, %a) | number | change, %a) | number | change, %a) | number | change, %a) | |
| Budapest | 7 161 | 0.6 | 10 892 | –0.3 | –3 731 | –2.0 | 3 995 | –9.7 |
| Pest | 6 200 | 5.7 | 7 214 | –7.0 | –1 014 | –46.3 | 3 537 | 15.2 |
| Central Transdanubia | 4 512 | 1.2 | 7 211 | –4.0 | –2 699 | –11.6 | 3 183 | 20.1 |
| Western Transdanubia | 4 024 | 6.5 | 6 316 | –3.4 | –2 292 | –16.8 | 2 439 | 7.6 |
| Southern Transdanubia | 3 686 | 9.0 | 6 298 | –7.8 | –2 612 | –24.3 | 2 341 | 10.9 |
| Northern Hungary | 5 827 | 11.6 | 8 094 | –9.0 | –2 267 | –38.4 | 3 143 | 12.6 |
| Northern Great Plain | 7 554 | 9.6 | 9 451 | –5.5 | –1 897 | –39.0 | 4 515 | 22.6 |
| Southern Great Plain | 5 286 | 6.8 | 8 826 | –5.9 | –3 540 | –20.1 | 3 639 | 29.0 |
| Totalb) | 44 250 | 5.5 | 64 302 | –5.5 | –20 052 | –23.1 | 26 792 | 11.2 |
a) Compared to the same period of the previous year.
b) Including data which cannot be broken down by territorial unit.