OREANDA-NEWS. February 04, 2010. The population of Belarus decreased 5.5% in the period 1999-2009 to 9.489 million people, according to preliminary results of the census conducted in October 2009.

In the Brest Region, population decreased 5.7% to 1.401 million, in the Vitebsk Region 10.6% to 1.231 million, in the Gomel Region 6.8% to 1.44 million, in the Minsk Region 8.8% to 1.422 million, in the Mogilev Region 9.8% to 1.095 million, and in the city of Minsk increased 8.8% to 1.828 million people.

Urban population increased 5% o 7.052 million people, and of rural population decreased 5% to 2.437 million people, 74% and 26% respectively, compared to 69% and 31% ten years ago.

Male population decreased 6.2% in the period to 4.423 people, and female population, 4.9% to 5.066 million.

There are 13 cities in Belarus with population over 100,000 people – Minsk, Gomel, Mogilev, Vitebsk, Grodno, Brest, Bobruisk, Baranovichi, Borisov, Pinsk, Orsha, Mozyr and Soligorsk.