Natural growth of population in Uzbekistan made up 519,000 and about 214,200 of them fell to rural area, the Uzbek State Statistics Committee said.

Number of births in January-December 2009 comprised 649,700 people and grew by 3,600 or 0.6% year-on-year. Coefficient of birth fell from 23.6% to 23.3% pro mil.

Decrease of birth rate in Syrdarya region (from 24.3 to 22.8 pro mil), Namangan region (from 24.4 to 23 pro mil), Samarkand region (from 25.6 to 24.2 pro mil) and Surkandarya region (from 25.9 to 24.6 pro mil) was observed.

Death rate dropped in all regions of Uzbekistan. The death rate in Tashkent city (from 7.8 to 7.1 pro mil), Andijan region (from 5.1 to 4.6 pro mil), Khorezm region (from 4.8 to 4.3 pro mil) and Karakalpakstan (from 5.4 to 4.9 pro mil) decreased.

About 58.9% of deaths fell to share of cardiovascular diseases, 7.6% - neoplasms, 6.6% - accidents, poisonings and traumas, and 6.3% - respiratory diseases.

According to the preliminary data, in January-December 2009, 7,300 children died at the age under one year. The infant mortality rate decreased from 12.5 pro mil in January-December 2008 to 11.9 pro mil in January-December 2009.

Out of the total number of children died at the age under one year, 49.4% died of states occurring in perinatal period, 33.5% - respiratory diseases, 7.4% - congenital anomalies and 3.4% - infectious and parasitic diseases.

In the reporting period, 277,600 marriages and 17,200 divorces were registered. There were 10 marriages and 0.6 divorces per 1000 population.