Ethnic Czech-speaking Czechs belonging to the West Slavic group make up the vast majority of the country's population - about 95% of the total. Other
ethnic groups permanently resident in the Czech Republic include Poles, Germans, Hungarians, Jews, Ukrainians and Gypsies. After the separation of Czechoslovakia, about 2% of the population are Slovaks.
The population of the Czech Republic reached a post-war maximum in 1991 and amounted to 10 million 302 thousand people. Subsequently, there was a slow decline until 2003, and the only period when a negative population growth was recorded was 1994-2005. Since 2006, there has been an increase in population, including due to an increase in the number of migrants from the countries of the former USSR, Poland, countries of the former Yugoslavia and Asia. According to the latest census, the Czech population is 10 million 505 thousand people.
Population density
The Czech population density averages 133 people per 1 sq. Km. km., which makes the Czech Republic a fairly densely populated country. The population is distributed evenly throughout the country. Dense population is characteristic of large urban entities such as Prague, Pilsen, Brno and Ostrava. The maximum density is fixed at 250 people / sq. Km. The least populated (level 37 inhabitants / sq. Km.) Areas of Prachatice and Cesky Krumlov. In total, there are 5,500 settlements in the Czech Republic .
The Czech Republic is one of the most urbanized countries
in Europe: the population in the Czech Republic mainly lives in cities and large settlements (about 70%), while the percentage of the rural population is constantly decreasing and currently more than 50% already live in settlements with a population of over 20 thousand . human. The capital of the country - Prague - is the only city that can be called a metropolis. 1 million 243 thousand people live here. In the Czech Republic, only five cities have a population of over 100 thousand people - Prague, Olomouc, Brno, Pilsen and Ostrava. There are 17 cities with a population of over 50 thousand people, and 44 cities and towns have a population of more than 20 thousand people.
Demographics and Fertility
At the productive age of 15 to 65, the majority of the Czech population (about 72%) is located, while the number of citizens under 15 and over 65 is almost the same - 14.4% and 14.5%, respectively. The number of men in the productive age is slightly higher than the female number, but in the post-productive one there are noticeably more women (almost two women per man). The average age in the Czech Republic is 39.3 years - for women 41.1 years, and for men 37.5 years. The population of the Czech Republic as of 2006 had an average life expectancy of 72.9 years for men and 79.7 years for women.
Despite the fact that the proportion of married adults is quite large, the number of single people is also relatively large: every eighth woman and every fifth man in the Czech Republic lives out of wedlock. The average age of marriage is close to European statistics and for men is 28 years old, for women 26 years old. The appearance of the
first child most often occurs in the first year of marriage.
However, for full reproduction of the population, the level of female fertility is still insufficient (one woman in reproductive age accounts for only 1.2 children). The Czech Republic is among the countries with a minimum child mortality rate of less than 4 people / 1000 newborns. The country has seen a steady decrease in the number of abortions and induced abortions.
Employment
More than half of the total population is economically active. We especially note the high employment of women in the Czech Republic compared to other countries. The economically active population of the Czech Republic is almost 48% women. Most of them work in trade, catering, healthcare, education and other services. The high level of female employment is due to the economic need to maintain the standard of family life, which is noticeably lower than in other EU countries.
Education
The level of education in the Czech Republic meets the highest European standards. Every tenth citizen studies at a higher educational institution or has completed higher education, and every third economically active resident has a complete secondary education. High qualification of employees (almost all graduated from vocational schools) is one of the significant economic advantages of the Czech Republic. There is still a lag behind European countries in terms of the number of people with higher and secondary education, but the gap is rapidly narrowing.
Religion
The population of the Czech Republic for the most part considers themselves atheists (almost 59%) or those who find it difficult to answer about religion - about 9%. Among Czech believers, Catholics prevail - 27% of the population, Czech evangelists and Hussites - 1%. Other religions (Christian churches and sects, Buddhism, Islam, etc.) are distributed exclusively among ethnic groups of immigrants.