Number of Uzbek population increased by 355,500 or 1.3% from the beginning of the year to 27.3 million, according to official data of the Uzbek State Property Committee.

The committee said natural growth of population made up 379,000 persons, of which 270,700 or 71.4% fell to share of population of rural areas.

The number of population in urban areas rose from 9.38 million to 9.44 million and rural areas rose from 16.32 million to 16.5 million. Average lifetime made up 69.4 among male and 73.8 among female.

Uzbekistan has negative balance of external migration. According to official data, balance of external migration made up some 45,800 people, or -23.4% in nine months of 2008.

About 484,400 people were born in January-September or up 6.6% year-on-year. The birth rate increased from 22.6% to 23.7%. Birth rate increased in all regions, except Ferghana and Khorezm regions. Andijan, Kashkadarya, Namangan, Samarkand and Surkhandara has the larest birth rate.

The death rate fell in all regions, except Ferghana and Khorezm regions, as well as Karakalpakstan. The highest death rate was in Tashkent.

According to preliminary date, about 6,100 children under age of one died in nine months of 2008. The child mortality rate fell from 14.2 ppm in 2007 to 12.9 ppm.

In nine months, 172,900 marriages and 12,100 divorces were registered in Uzbekistan.