Before the pandemic, Bucharest recorded record numbers of marriages that far exceeded the number of births, a completely unusual situation, according to a World Bank report. “A very interesting aspect is that the marriage rate in Sector 1 is about 3 times higher than the average for the capital, although the oldest population lives there,” the authors of the report note.

Sector 3 has a similar level, while the rest of the sectors register modest values, quite close to the average for the country and Ilfov County.

The marriage rate is the demographic most closely related to GDP growth, with young people tending to delay marriage until the economic situation improves.

The average age of men who get married in Bucharest is 36.5 years, and women – 33.8 years.

In part, the extreme values ​​of the marriage rate can also be explained by some incentives provided by local administrations. Since 2017, Bucharest City Hall has been offering a bonus of 1,500 lei for the first marriage to anyone aged 18 to 35 living in the capital.

The average age of marriage for men in Bucharest reached 36.5 years and for women 33.8 years, well above the national average and an increase of about 3 years for both sexes compared to 2008, the report also shows.

As for the divorce rate, it has remained relatively constant over the last decade in the capital and is between 1.3 and 1.5 divorces per 1,000 inhabitants. On the other hand, at the level of the Ilfov county, the divorce rate was constantly increasing and even doubled compared to 2012.

More than two-thirds of the divorces registered in Bucharest were among young couples without children, while in Ilfov County, about 45% of them had at least one child. The majority of divorces concern men aged 35-49, respectively women aged 30-44, who have been married for about 10 years on average.

Sectors 3 and 1 record the highest values ​​of divorces, sectors 2 and 4 are at the opposite pole.

The gradual movement of the young population from the capital to Ilfov county against the backdrop of suburbanization has caused a sharp decline in the death rate in Ilfov county over the last decade, reaching the lowest level in the country. In Bucharest, the highest mortality rates are recorded in Sector 1 (13 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants) and Sector 2 (12 deaths), while the lowest values ​​are in Sectors 3 and 5 (less than 10).

The lowest mortality in the capital was recorded in sector 3

These differences are caused by the large difference in the share of the population over 65 years of age in the total number of inhabitants in each sector. Over the past decade, the capital’s infant mortality rate has roughly halved, in line with national trends, reaching values ​​close to the EU-27 average.

The lowest death rate in the capital was recorded in Sector 3, while Sectors 1 and 6 also had below-average values. A less favorable situation is registered in sectors 2 and 5, where the value of child mortality exceeded 5‰, the report of the World Bank also shows.

Bucharest is the main point of attraction for companies and residents – whether short-term or long-distance migrants – from all over the country. According to the research Magnet cities According to the World Bank, the capital itself generates approximately 25% of the national GDP and more than 1.1 million jobs, being the core of the region with the highest population and company density.

Thus, the catchment area of ​​the capital extends up to 100 km (e.g. the northern part of Teleorman county), especially in easily accessible areas with weak economic development, as the average monthly net salary in Bucharest is at least twice that of most of the surrounding counties (Ialomica, Calarasi, Giurgiu, Teleorman ), which makes it attractive even for long-distance trips.

Bucharest entered a continuous process of suburbanization. This forced a significant number of citizens to leave the city to settle in the surrounding towns (especially from Ilfov, but also from Giurgiu, Dambovitsa, Kalaras or Jalomica), where costs and living conditions were generally more attractive, but they continued to work in the capital, the document also states. . But now, it seems, we are witnessing the beginning of a repositioning of migration at the level of the Capital Region, from an emphasized suburbanization with rather negative consequences: an increase in car traffic, the appearance of sleeping quarters with poor amenities, pressure on natural heritage, etc.

The main sources of internal migrants for Bucharest are the counties in the south and east of the country, especially Teleorman, Prahova, Arges, Galati, Buzeu, Braila, Ialomica, Calaras, Olt, Vilca, Dambovica, Giurgiu, Constanta, Tulcea, Bacau, Vaslui, Gorz, Dolj etc. In terms of age, Bucharest registers the most important demographic balance in the case of young people aged 15-35.

Conversely, people over the age of 60 have negative migration balances, as they choose, especially after retirement, to move to rural or suburban areas where the cost of living is lower. The capital remained the destination of the largest travel flows in the country thanks to competitive salaries and a generous job offer.

The average age of the mother at birth in Bucharest is around 31.5 years, the highest level in the context of Romania

The birth rate in Bucharest was only 1.4 children/woman in 2018, well below the population reproduction rate of 2.1, being, together with Cluj County, the lowest in the country. Instead, it is similar to what is recorded in other European capitals of the region (Budapest, Vienna, Sofia, Athens).

The average age of a mother at birth in Bucharest is around 31.5 years, the highest level in the Romanian context and the average in the regional context, joining the European trend of postponing childbearing amid increasing female employment rates.

From 2008 to 2018, the number of mothers at the age of 35-39 increased by 87%, and at the age of 40-44 – by 2.5 times. On the other hand, the number of those who gave birth before the age of 25 decreased by 33%. At the same time, the largest number of mothers (38% of the total number) are registered in the 30-34 age group

The phenomenon of demographic aging and suburbanization also left its mark on the death rate in the capital. Thus, although the proportion of elderly people in Bucharest is similar to the national average, Bucharest registers a lower mortality rate, which is explained by the higher life expectancy of the population. Despite these indicators, the phenomenon of rapidly increasing demographic aging has caused a trend in the death rate that exceeds the rate of increase in the number of deaths at the national level, a trend that will continue in the coming years.

See everything here World Bank report.