Both divorce and church marriages up in Cyprus

Priests and lawyers did well in 2009 as both the number of divorces and the number of marriages taking place in church rose in 2009 according to the Demographic Report for 2009 published by the Statistical Service.
However, the total number of marriages was down, reaching 12,769 in 2009 from 13,395 in 2008.
However, since ecclesiastical marriages increased from 3,293 in 2008 to 3,795 in 2009, it was civil marriages that showed a decline. Civil marriages dropped from 10,102 in 2008 to 8,974 in 2009.
Divorces increased, reaching 1,738 from 1,639 in 2008.
The Demographic Report gives statistics on fertility, mortality, marriages, divorces and migration.
In 2009 the number of births totalled 9,608, up from to 9,205 in 2008. The total fertility rate, which gives the mean number of children per woman was estimated at 1.51 in 2009. Since 1995 has been below the replacement level of 2.10.
The number of deaths reached 5,182 in 2009 compared to 5,194 in 2008.
The expectation of life at birth is estimated at 77.9 years for males and 82.4 for females for the period 2008/09.
The population in the Government controlled area is estimated at 803,200 at the end of 2009 compared to 796,900 in the previous year, recording an increase of 0.8%.
The Statistical Service said that the population increase in 2009 is mainly explained by natural increase (4,426 persons) and to a lesser extent by the balance of net migration (those leaving and those coming) which reached a net balance of 1,846 persons.