Census shows slight decline in Armenia's population

Preliminary results of Armenia's 2011 census were released Wednesday, showing the country's population had dropped slightly since the previous survey in 2001. The National Statistical Service said the first stage of statistical analysis put the population at 2,871,771, a fall of 130,823 from 2001, when the figure was 3,002,594. Karine Kuyumjyan, head of the Department of Census and Demography of National Statistical Service, said the number of permanent residents also fell, by 194,157. Kuyumjyan said 36.7 percent of the country's population lived in rural areas and 63.3 percent in urban areas. The final results of the census, taken every 10 years, will be declared in 2013.