These are data from a report published by the national statistical office which shows that Croatians marry at an increasingly late age.
Broken down by county, a positive natural increase was reported only in Medjimurje County, while the highest negative natural increases were reported by Osijek-Baranja County, - 1,418, and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, - 1,329.
Birth rate 9.0, mortality rate 12.3
Last year, 37,706 children were born, an increase of 0.1% from 2015, and 51,542 people died, a decrease of 4.9% compared to 2015.
49.2% of the people who died last year were men and 50.8% were women, and the mortality rate (the number of deaths per 1,000 inhabitants) was 12.3.
The average age of men at death was 72.8 and the average age of women was 79.9.
As in previous years, the prevailing cause of death were diseases of the cardiovascular system and tumors.
The number of infant deaths in 2016 amounted to 161, i.e. 0.31% of the total number of deaths.
Of the 37,706 newborns, 37,537 were liveborn and 169 were stillborn. Compared to 2015, in 2016, 34 more children were born (0.1%). Of the total number of liveborn children, 50.8% were male and 49.2% were female children.
The birth rate in 2016 was 9.0 while the fertility rate (the average number of children a woman gives birth to during her life) was 1.43, which is considerably below simple reproduction (2.1).
Number of marriages rises, Croatians marry at an increasingly late age
A total of 20,467 marriages were registered in 2016, an increase of 3.2% from 2015, and the nuptiality rate (marriages per 1,000 inhabitants) was 4.9.
The average age of the bride in 1989 was 23.1 and of the groom 26.7 while in 2016 the average age of the bride was 28.3 and of the groom 31.1.
Of the total number of marriages registered last year, 54.5% were church marriages and 45.4% were civil marriages.
Last year saw 7,036 divorces, with the average duration of dissolved marriages being 14.8 years.
The number of divorces per 1,000 new marriages was 343.8, while the number of divorces per 1,000 inhabitants was 1.7.