TALLINN - Estonia recorded a higher number of births than deaths in July, however statisticians said the increase was an anomaly and did not point to population growth.
According to figures from the Interior Ministry a total of 1,341 births and 1,314 deaths were registered during July.
The last time the number of live births exceeded deaths was in July 1992, and the last time Estonia experienced annual population growth was in 1990.
"It is in every way positive that after a long time a bigger number of live births than deaths was registered in Estonia in the course of a month," leading statistician Ulle Valgma said.
She added however that the figures were tentative and subject to change. Some of the births and deaths registered in July actually occurred in June, and that the births figure by the Interior Ministry included stillborn children, Valgma said.
The final figures will be also changed by population events registered by Estonia's diplomatic representations abroad, and the fact that the yearly figures will be broken down by place of residence, which means that births and deaths of people not living in Estonia will be eliminated, she said.
Valgma cautioned against viewing the July figures an indication of a trend.
"Rather it was a coincidence -- the number of births registered in June was big while the number of deaths was smaller as is common during the summer," she explained.
From January through July, 8,732 live births and 10,564 deaths were registered in Estonia, marking a gap of 1,832.
