Population and Demographics

Armenia has a population of 3,002,000 and is the second most densely populated of the former Soviet republics after Moldova. There has been a problem of population decline due to elevated levels of emigration after the break-up of the USSR. The rates of emigration and population decline, however, have decreased drastically in the recent years, and a moderate influx of Armenians returning to Armenia have been the main reasons for the trend, which is expected to continue. Armenia is expected to resume its positive population growth by 2010.

Armenia is the only republic of the former Soviet Union that boasts a nearly-homogeneous population. Ethnic minorities include Yazidis, Russians, Assyrians, Ukrainians, Kurds, Greeks, Georgians and Belarusians. There are also smaller communities of Vlachs, Mordvins, Ossetians, Udis, and Tats. Minorities of Poles and Caucasus Germans also exist though they are heavily Russified.

Armenia has a relatively large diaspora (8 million by some estimates, greatly exceeding the 3 million population of Armenia itself), with communities existing across the globe. The largest Armenian communities outside of Armenia can be found in Russia, France, Iran, the United States, Georgia, Syria, Lebanon, Argentina and Ukraine. Approximately 130,000 Armenians now live in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Most Armenians are Christian, primarily of Oriental Orthodox rite. Armenia is considered the first nation to adopt Christianity, which was first preached in Armenia by two Apostles of Jesus, St. Bartholomew and St. Thaddeus in the 1st century. The Armenian Apostolic Church can trace its roots back to the 3rd and 4th centuries. The country formally adopted the Christian faith in 301 AD. Over 90% of Armenians belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church, a form of Oriental (Non-Chalcedonian) Orthodoxy, which is a very ritualistic, conservative church, roughly comparable to the Coptic and Syrian churches. Armenia also has a population of Catholics and evangelical Protestants.

Facts and Figures

• Population: 3,002,000
• Age Structure:
  • 0-14 years: 19.5% (male 307,610/female 271,381)
  • 15-64 years: 69.3% (male 962,126/female 1,098,192)
  • 65 years and over: 11.2% (male 132,705/female 199,636)
• Median Age:
  • Total: 30.8 years
  • Male: 28.1 years
  • Female: 33.6 years
• Population Growth Rate: -0.129%
• Birth Rate: 12.34 births/1,000 population
• Death Rate: 8.29 deaths/1,000 population
• Net Migration Rate: -5.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population
• Sex Ratio:
  • At birth: 1.16 male(s)/female
  • Under 15 years: 1.133 male(s)/female
  • 15-64 years: 0.876 male(s)/female
  • 65 years and over: 0.665 male(s)/female
  • Total population: 0.894 male(s)/female
• Infant Mortality Rate:
  • Total: 21.69 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Male: 26.69 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Female: 15.91 deaths/1,000 live births
• Life Expectancy at Birth:
  • Total population: 72.12 years
  • Male: 68.52 years
  • Female: 76.29 years
• Total Fertility Rate: 1.34 children born/woman
• HIV/AIDS:
  • Adult prevalence rate: 0.1%
  • People living with HIV/AIDS: 2,600
• Ethnic Groups:
  • Armenian 97.9%
  • Yezidi (Kurd) 1.3%
  • Russian 0.5%
  • Other 0.3%
• Religions:
  • Armenian Apostolic 94.7%
  • Other Christian 4%
  • Yezidi (monotheist with elements of nature worship) 1.3%
• Languages:
  • Armenian 97.7%
  • Yezidi 1%
  • Russian 0.9%
  • Other 0.4%
• Literacy:
  • Total population: 99.4%
  • Male: 99.7%
  • Female: 99.2%