Armenia’s Population One-Third Less than Declared, Surmises Paper

In 2014, the state subsidy to a number ofcommunities will be reduced. The explanation provided to the communities is that the subsidy amount depends on the actual population figures, reports local daily Haykakan Zhamanak.

According to Kapan City Hall, as told to the newspaper's correspondent, if the amount of the subsidy was previously based on the figures from the RA National Statistical Service (NSS), now it will be based on the population figures provided by the police. And these figures are very different. The population of Kapan, according to the municipality, is 45,200; according to the NSS, it's 43,200; and finally, according to the police, 37,600.

"From this one can get an approximate idea of the population of the Republic of Armenia today. Just two years ago in Kapan, according to the NSS, the population was 62,000. In other words, at preasent, the population of Kapan is 40% less than was declared two years ago. If we extend this calculation to all of Armenia, the [declared] population of 3.2 million is now just 2 million," adds the paper.