Friday January 3, 2003

ESTONIAN PRESIDENT CALLS FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE MORE BABIES

TALLINN, January 3, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Citing Estonia's declining population, President Arnold Ruutel is urging the country's 1.4 million citizens to have more babies.

"Let us remember that in just a couple of decades the number of Estonians seeing the New Year will be one-fifth less than today," the President said in a live national TV broadcast this week.

Estonia recorded 16 births per 1,000 population in the late 1980s in the last years of Soviet occupation. In 2001, after a decade of independence and relying on the West, there were 8.7 births per 1,000 population.

"Women are postponing having children to look after their education and their careers," said Pirat Laur of the World Health Organization. During the1980s, Estonian women had their first child at around 20. In 2001, the average age was 28.

For newswire coverage see:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030102/ap_wo_en_po/eu_odd_estonia_more_kids_please_2

URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2003/jan/03010304.html

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