Azernews.Az

By Amina Nazarli

In recent years, the number of large families is decreasing in Azerbaijan.

Thus, the number of families with four or more children under 18 years dropped by 40.8 percent standing at 126,700 families from 1999 to 2009.

The families with three or more children constituted 261,900 families. The number has decreased dramatically over the past ten years: from 26 to 20 percent.

Now government plans to prepare the ground for promoting the birth of the third and fourth child in Azerbaijani families.

The preparation is part of a state program for the development of demography and population growth for 2014-2025.

The revised document will be sent to the Cabinet of Ministers next year.

Moreover, it is also considering to develop a plan preventing selective abortions that lead to violations of sexual relations. It is also expected to conduct some monitoring missions on sex ratio.

The Ministry said that the biological norm is 105-107 newborn boys to 100 newborn girls. However, in Azerbaijan this figure stands at 116 to 100 now.

The main reason behind the trend is selective abortions. In this regard, the reproductive capacity of women in the country is gradually reducing.

Along with it, the government is working on another law in order to promote the families to increase the number of children in families.

In Azerbaijan, families with triplets may have a chance to get an apartment, the Azerbaijan State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs said in October.

In addition, it also plans to improve social services for large families and low-income families, including single-parent families, families of martyrs, as well as families who live with a person with disability.