TELSIAI COUNTY - Population
Highest birth rate, young population
Telšiaicounty is the second smallest Lithuanian county in terms of population, which numbered 179 137 at the beginning of 2003, or 5.2 % of the total population in Lithuania. Just less than two-thirds of the population reside in the county's seven towns, and the population density is below average at 41.2 people per km2. At the beginning of 2003, women accounted for 52.7 % of the population, with 1 114 women per 1 000 men, which was slightly below average.
The population increased by 2.0 % in the period from 1990 to 1994, thereafter decreasing. The number of births outweighed the number of deaths till 2001.
Nevertheless during the last decade there has been a considerable decline in the birth rate, although a slight increase was observed in 1998. However, the overall birth rate in the county was the highest in Lithuania, thanks to an unusually high birth rate in rural areas. The birth rate among women aged 15 to 49 was 38 births per 1 000, while in rural areas it was as high as 52 per 1 000 women. Children born out of marriage accounted for 34% of all births. Although the divorce rate has decreased, it was the highest among the counties at 3.5 divorces per 1 000 population.
In 2002 the mortality rate in the county was slightly below average at 11.7 deaths per 1 000 population. Infant mortality was below the national average in 2002 at 7.0 deaths per 1 000 births.
The age structure of the population is comparatively young, with the population aged 65 and over accounting for 13.9 %, while the county has the highest proportion of under 25s at 36.5 % at the beginning of 2003. Of particular note is that 23 % of the total population are under 15, which has a considerable impact on the working age population in terms of dependants. At the beginning of 2003 there were 717 dependants per 1 000 working age population, 45% of whom were of pension age.
The ethnic composition of Telšiaipopulation is similar to the majority of Lithuania's counties, where Lithuanians constitute over 97% of the population.
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