About 70 percent of the country’s population live in settlements of at least 100,000 residents, including Minsk, and all the regional centres: Bobruisk, Baranovichi, Borisov, Pinsk, Orsha, Mozyr, Soligorsk, Novopolotsk, and Lida.
According to the National Statistics Committee, Belarus is in keeping with the global trend for urbanisation. Over two-thirds of the country’s population (7.37m people) live in urban conditions, while Minsk has the largest number of residents: 1.96m people (or every fifth citizen, 20.6 percent). The Gomel Region is the most densely populated among the regions, being home to one in seven citizens. As of the start of 2016, Belarus’ total population stood at 9.498m people (5.77m women and 4.421m men). In urban settlements, there are 1,167 women for every 1,000 men, falling to 1,086 women per 1,000 men in rural areas, according to a statistical survey carried out for World Population Day, annually observed on July 11th.
On July 11th, 1987, the Earth’s population exceeded 5bn people. In 1989, the UNDP Executive Board recommended celebrating July 11th as Population Day. Like other UN memorable dates, Population Day seeks to raise awareness of the need to address demographic issues.
By Vladimir Mikhailov
